ANALYSIS OF SUGARCANE FLAVONOIDS BY CAPILLARY ZONE ELECTROPHORESIS

The quantitative analysis of flavonoids by capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE was investigated. Analytical conditions were varied to optimise the separation of the major flavone class of flavonoids in sugarcane. Separation of flavonoids from sugarcane was most influenced by the running buffer pH and addition of methanol. Best separation of sugarcane flavones was obtained with a running buffer of 25 mM borate, pH 9.5 with 20% methanol added. Using a simple acetonitrile-water extraction, CZE could be used to quantify flavonoids in sugarcane. R.S.D. values for the flavonoids detected in two cultivars of sugarcane ranged from 2.1 to 7.7, mean 4.8.