Analysis of flavonoids and other phenolic compounds using high-performance liquid chromatography with coulometric array detection: relationship to antioxidant activity

Abstract

High-performance liquid chromatography coupled with a coulometric array detector was used to characterize the electrochemical behavior of 17 flavonoids and three cinnamic acid derivatives. The antioxidant activity of these phenolic compounds was evaluated by the ferric reducing activity power (FRAP), the oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC), and the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical assays. All flavonoids, except kaempferol-3-rutinoside, malvidin-3-glucoside, and peonidin-3-glucoside, had two oxidation potentials (100-300 and 700-800 mV). Quercetin and myricetin had an additional oxidation wave at 400 mV. The electrochemical responses at a relatively low oxidation potential (300 mV) and the cumulative responses at medium oxidation potentials (400 and 500 mV) had the highest correlations with antioxidant activities. The highest correlations between electrochemical characteristics and antioxidant activities were found between electrochemical responses and antioxidant activities obtained in the FRAP assay and in the DPPH assay after short reaction periods. Lower correlations were revealed between electrochemical responses and antioxidant activities obtained in the ORAC assay.