Free radicals are produced in our bodies through oxidative processes and have harmful effects to an otherwise good health. Antioxidants, such as polyphenols, which are present in beverages inhibit the oxidation of biomolecules. The Gallic Acid Equivalence Method is used to measure the total amount of antioxidants in the wine industry. Gallic acid, which is used as the standard for the measurement of the total antioxidant content, was found to quench free radicals by getting itself oxidized, thereby reducing cell damage. A procedure for the measurement of the total concentration of gallic acid present in various beverages was measured by high performance liquid chromatography (HLPC). A standard gallic acid calibration curve was first prepared and further used to measure the amount of gallic acid present in commercially available tea and juice beverages. All samples were also allowed to be air oxidized for a week to semi-quantitatively measure the decomposition of the gallic acid originally present during that time frame. A comparison between various brands of beverages will be made to highlight the differences between the drinks.

Determination of gallic acid present in juice and tea beverages using high performance liquid chromatography

254th National Meeting (2017)

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