DETERMINATION OF HESPERIDIN AND NARINGIN IN BITTER ORANGE EXTRACTS AND IN THE CHARACTERIZATION OF NEW NUTRACEUTICALS BY INNOVATIVE HPLC AND CAPILLARY ELECTROPHORETIC METHODS

Flavonoids are a class of naturally occurring and structurally related compounds found widely distributed in plant and plant foods. They have a variety of biological effects such as antioxidants, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic and anti-carcinogenic activity. Although flavonoids are considered to be nonnutrition agents, there is an increasing interest in these substances because of possible effects on human health. Many potentially health promoting effects have also been ascribed to the citrus flavonoids. In light of this importance we set out to develop innovative analytical methods which were both quick and capable of detecting reasonable low levels of hesperidin and naringin in bitter orange. In this communication we have developed innovative analytical methods using either narrow bore RP-HPLC or capillary electrophoresis (CE), for the determination of flavonoids in bitter orange extracts. Furthermore new innovative nutraceutical products were characterized by the developed HPLC and CE methods