Antioxidant activity of grape extracts in a lecithin liposome system

Extracts of 14 different grapes were tested for their antioxidant activities in a copper-catalyzed lecithin liposome oxidation assay and analyzed for their phenolic components by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The total phenolic contents of the grape extracts varied from 176 to 1236 mg garlic acid equivalents (GAE)/L. Extracts of red wine grape varieties contained higher concentration of phenolics than other varieties. When compared at the same 20 mu M GAE basis, the grape extracts inhibited formation of conjugated diene hydroperoxides by 25.1 to 67.9%, and hexanal formation by 49.3 to 97.8%. Extracts of red table grape varieties Red Globe and Emperor and white wine grape Varieties Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc gave the highest antioxidant activities. The relative percentage inhibition of conjugated dienes and hexanal correlated with total phenols (r = 0.86 and 0.89). HPLC analyses showed that anthocyanins were the most abundant phenolic compounds in extracts of red grapes, and flavonols were most abundant in extracts of white grapes.