HPLC Analysis of Vitamins C, E, Beta-carotene, and Some Flavonoids in Armenian Red Wines

Background: Oxidative damage to biological molecules is mainly caused by free radicals produced in the body. Natural antioxidants can prevent the resulting oxidative stress. For this purpose, particularly grapes and grape products, which contain vitamins and polyphenolic substances with high antioxidant activity, are used. Methods: In the present study, the content of vitamins C and E, beta-carotene, and some flavonoids ((+)-catechin, quercetin, and trans-resveratrol) in the composition of 19 brands of red wines that are produced in Armenia, was determined by HPLC. Vitamins C, E, beta-carotene, as well as flavonoids manufactured by Sigma-Aldrich were used as standards. Results: The amounts of vitamin E and beta-carotene were below the sensitivity threshold of the method, and the content of vitamins C and flavonoids varied over a wide range (vitamins C 2.15- 56.1, (+)-catechin 0-620.3; quercetin 0-10.55; trans-resveratrol 0-5.89 mg/L). Conclusion: The chromatographic analysis of vitamins and flavonoids allowed us to investigate not only the content of useful substances that make up red wines but also to identify counterfeit products. In this study, wines presented directly to retailers were analyzed since the task was both to determine vitamins and flavonoids and to identify counterfeits. The results of our study showed that among all the selected wine brands, there were no samples that, in terms of their properties, would not meet the required parameters.