Looking through the qualities of a fluorimetric assay for the total phenol content estimation in virgin olive oil, olive fruit or leaf polar extract

As an alternate to the Folin-Ciocalteu assay (F-C) we propose a fluorimetric estimation of the total phenol content in virgin olive oil (VOO), olive fruit and leaf polar extracts. Phenol content was determined at excitation/emission wavelengths set at 280/320 nm. Standard operational procedures (slit widths, temperature, pH) and method validation were carried out according to Eurachem guidelines. The qualities of the proposed assay are better than those of the F-C one, as the procedure is more sensitive (LOD and LOQ values 10-fold lower), three times faster, needs no reagents and most importantly, is not destructive for the sample that can be further used in HPLC or other assays. Data for VOO extracts correlated well with the colorimetric ones (r = 0.69, n = 65). HPLC coupled with diode array and fluorescence detectors supported the above findings. Good correlations were also found between the respective data for olive fruit and leaf extracts (r = 0.96, n = 18).