Growing evidence of the role of free radicals and antioxidants in health and ageing has focussed great interest on these compounds. The relationship between the total antioxidant potential and the phenolic content of commercial wines was evaluated. A close relationship between total phenolic content and total antioxidant potential for all wines was observed. Capillary zone electrophoresis showed that, in red wines, gallic acid was the highest of the phenolic acids and (+)-catechin and (-)-epicatechin were the next most abundant phenolics. Also, these compounds were strictly correlated with the total antioxidant potential of wines. Total antioxidant potential, by bleaching of 2,2'-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) radical cations, using gallic acid as standard, could be a practical and simple measurement to evaluate the characteristics of different wines. Furthermore, capillary electrophoresis is a powerful and high-performing tool for evaluating principal antioxidant wine components. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.82340941
