Methodology for Determination of the Total Amount of Phenolic Substances, Flavonoids and Antioxidant Capacity of Plant Samples using Combined Extraction

Abstract

Although multiple methodologies are used to determine antioxidant parameters in plants, most studies use separate extractions for each type of the determination. The aim of this work was to specify detailed methodology able to analyse the total amount of phenolic and flavonoid compounds and total antioxidant capacity from one sample using a microtitration plate format to minimize the sample consumption. In addition to that, the described extraction procedure and the decreased sample consumption enable one to make complementary analyses and a closer characterization of the composition of plant samples. The extract can be used for subsequent targeted analyses, which was demonstrated by the determination of selected flavonoids using GC-MS analysis, which confirmed the results of spectrophotometry. The described combined extraction of plant samples facilitates complex analyses, reduces the amount of starting material and enables the subsequent analysis of biomolecules.