TOTAL PHENOLIC CONTENT AND HPLC CHARACTERIZATION OF SOME CULINARY HERBS

The total phenols contents and individual polyphenols in alcoholic extractive solutions of spinach (Spinacia oleracea), common nettle (Urtica dioica), rocket salad /arugula (Eruca sativa), common dandelion (Taraxacum officinale), parsley (Petroselinum crispum), lovage (Levisticum officinale), mint (Mentha piperita), summer savory/satureja (Satureja hortensis) were examined using Folin-Ciocalteu method and an adapted USP30 HPLC method, respectively. The highest concentration in total phenols was registered for lovage (6860.82 mg GAE/100 g f.w.) and rocket salad (620.41 mg GAE/100 g f.w.). HPLC -DAD analysis indicate the presence of nine individual polyphenolic compounds in different concentrations: gallic acid exists in all studied herbs in variable concentrations, from 13.13 mg/100 g f.w. in spinach to 420.02 mg/100g f.w. in rocket salad; ellagic acid in four herbs from 42.71 mg/100 g f.w. in common dandelion to 632.42 mg/100g f.w. in lovage; chlorogenic acid in four herbs from 0.44 mg/100 g f.w. in common nettle to 4.17 mg/100 g f.w. in mint; caffeic, caftaric, coumaric, ferulic, 3-o-methyl-gallic acids were determined in small amounts.