Study of the polyphenol content of red and white grape varieties by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and its relationship to antioxidant power

There is considerable interest in the analysis of phenolic compounds due to their involvement in the organoleptic characteristics of foods and drinks, and their contribution to protection against cardiovascular diseases and cancers through their antioxidant activity. This article describes studies of the polyphenol content, both total (by means of the Folin-Ciocalteu method) and individual (by means of HPLC, LC-MS and LC-MS-MS) and the antioxidant power, of six varieties of grape over the course of their maturation. A good correlation is found to exist between the total polyphenol content of the samples and their antioxidant power, and both seem diminish along the maturation. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.