Phenolic composition of Cryptocarya alba (Mol) Looser in different locations and seasons of the year

Abstract

The phenolic composition of several plant species has been studied to know quantitatively and qualitatively the compounds present in them and to declare their use as raw material in the food, pharmacological and cosmetic industry, among others. In Chile there is little information on the phenolic composition of native plant species of the Mediterranean forest, so it is of great importance to perform phenolic characterization studies to detect which are the majority compounds, and facilitate their possible extraction or use of the raw material. The objective of this study was to characterize and quantify by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC-DAD), the phenolic composition of Cryptocarya alba, in leaves and young branches, in seven localities of the central zone of Chile and during the winter, spring and summer seasons. Total phenols (TF), condensed tannins (CT) and low molecular weight phenols were quantified in the different samples. In leaves of Cryptocarya alba, for different seasons and localities analyzed, concentration ranges of 9.83-29.85 mgEAG g-1 for TF and 7.06-32.00 mgEC g-1 for CT were obtained; while, in young branches, concentrations between 0.68-1.61 mgEAG g-1 of TF and 1.23-2.53 mgEC g-1 of CT are observed. The phenolic compounds of low molecular weight, identified in higher concentration in Cryptocarya alba were: trans-chlorogenic acid, followed by procyanidins and flavonols. It was concluded that the composition and concentration of Cryptocarya alba phenolic compounds vary, with the location and season of the year.

Keywords

• compuestos fenólicos
• cryptocarya alba
• flavonoides
• taninos.