Premium
Identification, quantitation, and method validation for flavan‐3‐ols in fermented ready‐to‐drink teas from the Italian market using HPLC‐UV/DAD and LC‐MS/MS
Author(s) -
Cordero Chiara,
Canale Francesca,
Rio Daniele Del,
Bicchi Carlo
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
journal of separation science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.72
H-Index - 102
eISSN - 1615-9314
pISSN - 1615-9306
DOI - 10.1002/jssc.200900369
Subject(s) - polyphenol , chemistry , catechin , flavan , food science , chromatography , high performance liquid chromatography , shelf life , fraction (chemistry) , antioxidant , organic chemistry
The present study is focused on flavan‐3‐ols characterizing the antioxidant properties of fermented tea ( Camellia sinensis ). These bioactive compounds, object of nutritional claims in commercial products, should be quantified with rigorous analytical procedures whose accuracy and precision have been stated with a certain level of confidence. An HPLC‐UV/DAD method, able to detect and quantify flavan‐3‐ols in infusions and ready‐to‐drink teas, has been developed for routine analysis and validated by characterizing several performance parameters. The accuracy assessment has been run through a series of LC‐MS/MS analyses. Epigallocatechin, (+)‐catechin, (−)‐epigallocatechingallate, (−)‐epicatechin, (−)‐gallocatechingallate, (−)‐epicatechingallate, and (−)‐catechingallate were chosen as markers of the polyphenolic fraction. Quantitative results showed that samples obtained from tea leaves infusion were richer in polyphenolic antioxidants than those obtained through other industrial processes. The influence of shelf‐life and packaging material on the flavan‐3‐ols content was also considered; markers decreased, with an exponential trend, as a function of time within the shelf life while packaging materials demonstrated to influence differently the flavan‐3‐ol fraction composition over time. The method presented here provides quantitative results with a certain level of confidence and is suitable for a routine quality control of iced teas whose antioxidant properties are object of nutritional claim.