Liquid chromatographic method for the separation and quantification of prominent flavonoid aglycones

Many beneficial health effects have been attributed to flavonoids, which are prevalent in plant-based foods. The literature is replete with chromatographic systems which are capable of measuring flavonoid content across one, two, and even three of the five common subclasses of flavonoids found in foods. However many foods and mixed diets, in particular, contain members of all five subclasses of flavonoids. We have developed an HPLC system for the separation and quantification of seventeen flavonoids, as their aglycones, which represent all five subclasses and are expected to be prominent in commonly consumed foods. Representative foods with significant concentrations of flavonoids from each of these subclasses were analyzed employing the new system. (C) 2000 Published by Elsevier Science B.V.