A Microcolorimetric Method for the Determination of Quinic Acid and its Content in Flue-cured Tobacco

Abstract

The colored compound produced by the reaction of periodate oxidation product of quinic acid with sodium nitroprusside and piperazine can be used as a quantitative measure of the quinic acid. The curve is linear for the acid examined in the range of 25 to 150μg of quinic acid per 1ml. Hence, the reaction provides a convenient method for the determination of the micro quantities of quinic acid obtained from tobacco extracts fractionated by chromatography on paper or ion exchange-resin column. The content of quinic acid in flue-cured tobacco was 0.23 per cent to dry matter.