Flavonoid contents become more abundant than polyphenols. Is it normal?
As answers to this, I can say that:
The difference observed between the concentrations of total polyphenols and flavonoids can be attributed to the selectivity of the solvent used for extraction.
Ethanol, a polar solvent, is effective at extracting a wide range of polyphenols, including flavonoids, as well as other compounds like phenolic acids and tannins. It is particularly efficient in extracting flavonoids, which tend to be more soluble in organic solvents like ethanol.
In contrast, water is a very polar solvent that is better suited for extracting highly polar compounds, such as hydrolyzable tannins, phenolic acids, and certain glycosylated flavonoids.
As a result, flavonoids may have been extracted more effectively than other types of polyphenols in our ethanolic extract, leading to a slightly higher concentration of flavonoids compared to total polyphenols. While this difference is minor and typical, if the discrepancy is significant, it may be worthwhile to review the extraction conditions and methods used.
It is also important to note that in certain foods or environments, flavonoids can make up the majority of polyphenols. For example: - In red fruits, anthocyanins (a type of flavonoid) are dominant. - In tea, catechins (another type of flavonoid) are the primary polyphenols. - In coffee, however, phenolic acids are more prevalent than flavonoids. Thus, in some cases, flavonoids are indeed the most abundant polyphenols.
Anyway, what do you think, dear researchers?
Flavonoids, a subclass of polyphenols, can be the most abundant type of polyphenol in certain plant extracts but cannot exceed the total polyphenol content.
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