High-performance liquid chromatography and thin-layer chromatography of phenolic acids from Ginkgo biloba L-leaves collected within vegetative period

In this paper, thin-layer chromatography and highperformance liquid chromatography for the qualitative and quantitative analysis of phenolic acids in Ginkgo biloba L. leaves are described. The amounts of both free and bound phenolic acids were determined within the whole vegetative period. For this purpose, a special extraction procedure, comprising acid and alkaline hydrolyses, was used. The described method allowed us to identify and estimate the concentration levels of eight phenolic acids: protocatechuic, para-hydroxybenzoic, vanillic, caffeic, isovanillic, para-coumaric, ferulic, and sinapic. Depending on the part of the plant vegetation, significant differences in the content of the compounds examined were observed and discussed. The elaborated method could be used in studies on the seasonal distribution of phenolic acids in plant material.