Characterizing the phenolic constituents and antioxidant capacity of Georgia peaches

Acetonic crude phenolic extracts of six Georgia peach cultivars were prepared and separated into low- and high-molecular-weight (LMW and HMW) fractions by Sephadex LH-20 column chromatography. Further characterization via RP-HPLC-ESI-MS identified the main phenolics as hydroxycinnamates, (+)-catechin, and proanthocyanidins with degrees of polymerization up to seven. The LMW phenolics of the commercial cultivar, 'July Prince', were further chromatographed and examined by RP-HPLC-ESI-MS. Derivatives of phenolic acids and flavan-3-ols, along with eriodictyol and quercetin diglycosides, were identified. Antioxidant capacities of the LMW and HMW fractions were determined using in vitro assays. H-ORAC_FL and FRAP assays gave values of 872 to 2428 μmol Trolox eq./100 g f.w. and 309 to 432 μmol Fe²⁺ eq./100 g f.w., respectively. The total phenolics content (TPC) was also measured; correlations between TPCs and antioxidant assays indicated that the HMW fractions of peach extracts were major contributors to the antioxidant capacity of the cultivars analyzed.