Identification and quantification of phenolic compounds from the forage legume sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia)

Phenolic compounds of sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia) variety Cotswold Common are assumed to contribute to its nutritive value and bioactive properties. A purified acetone/water extract was separated by Sephadex LH-20 gel chromatography. Sixty-three phenolic and other aromatic compounds were identified by means of chemical, chromatographic, and spectroscopic methods. Reverse phase HPLC with diode array and chemical reaction detection was used to investigate the phenolic composition of different plant organs. All plant parts showed specific phenolic profiles. Moreover, there were considerable variations in the phenolic content among individual plants of the same variety. The three most abundant phenolic compounds were found to be arbutin [predominant in petiols, 17.7 mg/g of dry weight (DW)], rutin (predominant in leaves, 19.9 mg/g of DW), and catechin (predominant flavanol in petiols, 3.5 mg/g of DW). The present study reveals that the phenolic profile of sainfoin is even more complex than hitherto assumed.