Flavonoids and phenolic acids of sage: Influence of some agricultural factors

4 pages, 5 figures, 1 table.A reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography/diode-array detector procedure is proposed for the determination of six phenolic compounds (caffeic acid, luteolin 7-O-glucoside, rosmarinic acid, apigenin, hispidulin, and cirsimaritin) in sage. The chromatographic separation was achieved using a reversed-phase Spherisorb ODS2 (5-μm particle size, 25.0 × 0.46 cm) column. Of the several extractive solvents assayed only ethyl ether, ethyl acetate, and acetone were able to extract all the compounds mentioned. Best resolution was obtained using a gradient of water/phosphoric acid (999:1) and acetonitrile. Ten samples cultivated in two experimental fields (1997−1999) were analyzed and the individual compounds quantified. Four commercially available samples were also analyzed and the results are discussed.We are grateful to Agência de Inovaçäo and Praxis XXI for financial support of this work. F. Areias is indebted to FCT (PRAXIS XXI/BIC/12251/97) for a grant.Peer reviewe