Development of a rapid method based on solid-phase extraction and liquid chromatography with ultraviolet absorbance detection for the determination of polyphenols in alcohol-free beers

An analytical method based on solid-phase extraction (SPE) and followed by liquid chromatographic separation and ultraviolet detection (HPLC–UV) is proposed for the determination of 10 phenolic compounds which participate on beer stability and sensory properties in alcohol-free beers. Acetonitrile was found to be the most appropriate solvent for the elution of polyphenolic compounds adsorbed on C18 cartridges. The performance of the method was assessed by the evaluation of parameters such as absolute recovery (generally higher than 60%), repeatability (lower than 10%), linearity (r2 higher than 0.993) and limits of quantitation (ranging from 1 to 37 μg/L); no matrix effects were observed. The polyphenol content of different Spanish alcohol-free beers is presented. Five phenolic compounds such as protocatechuic, p-coumaric, ferulic, caffeic acids, and (+)-catechin were identified at levels lower than 10 mg/L.