HPLC Determination of Polyphenols from Calendula officinalis L. Flowers

Romanian spontaneous flora provides a lot of resources for the determination of different chemical compounds. This study uses flower samples from Calendula officinalis L. extracted through maceration. The chemical compounds determined were: (+)-catechin, caffeic acid, chlorogenic acid, cinnamic acid, ferulic acid, gallic acid, rutin, resveratrol and quercetin. They were analyzed by using an optimized HPLC method. (+)-Catechin, caffeic acid, chlorogenic acid and quercetin could not be identified in the analyzed samples. The greatest amount of phenolic compound found was rutin and the smallest quantity was determined for ferulic acid. The quantified compounds have proven to have benefits regarding human health, thus they can be used as functional compounds and can be included in food products and food supplements.