Relationship between the antioxidant properties and the phenolic and flavonoid content in traditional balsamic vinegar

The antioxidant properties of traditional balsamic vinegar as regards its phenolic and flavonoid content comparing it to selected vinegars and red wines have been investigated. The polyphenols were separated from interfering compounds utilizing C18 columns. The polyphenolic content was determined utilizing both Folin-Ciocalteu and peroxidase assays. The antioxidant capacity was quantified using both ABTS and FRAP assays. The results show that traditional balsamic vinegar has lower antioxidant activity and phenolic and flavonoid content than Nero d'Avola but higher than the other tested products. The antioxidant capacity of wines and vinegars is highly correlated with their phenolic content, measured by peroxidase assay and it is also highly correlated with their flavonoid content while in traditional balsamic vinegar and balsamic vinegar this correlation diminishes. The study describes a simple and fast method of separating from other compounds and of measuring polyphenols in the analysis of red wines and vinegars with complex composition such as traditional balsamic vinegar. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.