Detection and comparison of phenolic compounds in different extracts of black currant leaves by liquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution ESI-LTQ-Orbitrap MS and high-sensitivity ESI-Qtrap MS.

Liquid preparations such as tinctures and infusion derived from Ribes nigrum L. (black currant) leaves are widely used in Europe. Despite the various uses reported for the infusion and hydroalcoholic extracts of the leaves of this species, their chemical profile has not yet been defined. In the present study, the infusion, hydroalcholic and methanolic extracts prepared from R. nigrum leaves were analyzed. LC-MS analyses of these extracts allowed the characterization of 31 phenolic compounds mainly belonging to organic acids, flavonoids, catechins and its oligomers. Quantitative results proved that these preparations are a rich source of polyphenols and flavonoids and among them the infusion presented the highest polyphenol levels. A metabolomics approach was also used for the comparison and evaluation of the chemical composition of the different extracts obtained from R. nigrum leaves.