Procyanidins from muscadine seeds Analysis of antioxidant capacity

Muscadine grapes have demonstrated to have a higher concentration of total polyphenolics when compared to other fruits and vegetables. Procyanidins and other polyphenols have potential health benefits as antioxidants with the ability to scavenge free radicals and act as anti-inflammatory and anti-tumour agents. The purpose of this study was to extract, identify, and determine the antioxidant capacity of procyanidins contained in Muscadine grape seeds using an acid hydrolysis (4N HCL-methanol) method. This method yielded one or more fractions that demonstrated an antioxidant activity greater than intact ground seeds. Antioxidant capacity of these extracts was analyzed using the oxygen radical absorbance capacity assay (ORAC) and total phenol analyses. High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and HPLC-MS (mass spectroscopy), were used to determine the polymeric content of procyanidins. The methanol-water extracts yielded higher ORAC (114 Trolox equivalents) and total phenol values (18,880 GAE meq vs. 2,020 GAE meq) compared to acid hydrolyzed extracts. These results demonstrate the potential use of waste by-products from juices and wines as significant sources of antioxidants in food and nutraceutical industries.