title: Identification and quantification of polyphenolic compounds from okra seeds and skins.
abstract: The aims of the present work were to identify and quantify the polyphenolic profile of okra (Abelmoschus esculentus), a vegetable almost worldwide consumed. Since the knowledge about the okra polyphenolic compounds is limited, the seeds and the skins of okra were separately analyzed. The seeds, which represent the 17% of the vegetable and are richer in phenolic compounds, were mainly composed by oligomeric catechins (2.5mg/g of seeds) and flavonol derivatives (3.4mg/g of seeds). The skins polyphenolic profile was composed principally by hydroxycinnamic and quercetin derivatives (0.2 and 0.3mg/g of skins). These findings in associations with the high content of okra in carbohydrates and proteins enhance the importance of this foodstuff in the human diet.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Polo Scientifico e Tecnologico, Università degli Studi di Firenze, Via U. Schiff, 6, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino (FI), Italy. Electronic address: panagos77@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Panagiotis
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Arapitsas
keywords: Abelmoschus esculentus; Flavonoids; HPLC/DAD–MS/MS; Hydroxycinnamic acid; Vegetables