Estimation of ferulic acid from selected plant materials by spectrophotometry and high performance liquid chromatography

Abstract

Ferulic acid (FA) is an abundant phytophenolic compound present in plant cell wall. Ferulic acid possesses anticancer, antioxidant, and anti-aging properties. A simple, sensitive and reproducible spectrophotometric method has been exploited for quantitative estimation of ferulic acid from selected plant materials such as rice bran (Oryza sativa), wheat bran (Triticum aestivum) and bamboo shoot (Bambusa vulgaris). The blue coloured chromogen obtained after the Folin–Ciocalteu assay was measured at a wavelength of 718 nm for ferulic acid against the blank reagent. The chromogen obeyed linearity over the range of 1μg/ml-8μg/ml. High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) method was also developed for the estimation of ferulic acid from selected plant materials. In HPLC analysis, ferulic acid got eluted and the amount of FA was found to be higher in rice bran (14.03mg/kg) compared to bamboo shoot (1.92mg/kg) and wheat bran (11.03mg/kg). The method can be used for the routine analysis of ferulic acid from various plant species and can be applied for nutritional and clinical investigations in a variety of samples.