This research has shown the potential of these techniques for the separation, identification and quantification of the phenolic fraction of vegetable matrices, using appropriate methodologies for this purpose and in the case of olive oil, studying certain technical parameters that affect the phenolic profile.

Information obtained by scientists from the UGR is useful because these compounds have many beneficial health properties. It is widely reported that they have a high antioxidant activity and are able to positively influence the organism by preventing the onset of certain diseases (diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, arterial hypertension, etc.).

The laboratory analyses were performed using the separation techniques of capillary electrophoresis and HPLC coupled to different types of detectors (UV-Vis, MS, NMR). Capillary electrophoresis connected to mass spectrometry proved to be innovative, as it had never before been used for the analysis of the phenolic fraction of honey and walnut. Moreover, these methods allowed identification of some phenolic compounds in these foods for the first time - a point of great interest for its possible antioxidant activity in the phenolic fraction.

Source: University of Granada