Analysis of low molecular mass phenolic compounds, furfural and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural in Brandy de Jerez by high-performance liquid chromatography diode array detection with direct injection

The polyphenolic composition of aged distillates originates principally from the ageing process in oak casks. It is accounted for by a narrow range of species. The relative simplicity of this wine industry product permits the analysis by HPLC with direct injection. The repeatability of the method has proved very high, in respect of both retention times and peak areas. The initial optimization of the elution gradient was completed by means of a solution comprising a mixture of standards and was definitely improved using real samples. A C-18 column, 25 cm x 4 mm I.D., was used, with a particle size of 5 mu m. Spectrophotometric detection, covering the UV-Vis range of 240-390 nm, was performed using a photodiode array detector.