Characterization, Quantification, and Yearly Variation of the Naturally Occurring Polyphenols in a Common Red Variety of Curly Kale (Brassica oleracea L. convar. acephala var. sabellica cv. ‘Redbor’)

This study focuses on the characterization and quantification of polyphenols in the edible leaves of red curly kale (Brassica oleracea L. convar. acephala (DC.) Alef. var. sabellica L.), variety ‘Redbor F1 hybrid’. The kale was grown at an experimental field (59° 40′ N) in the years 2007−2009. The analysis of kale extract by HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS has allowed the determination of 47 different acylated and nonacylated flavonoid glycosides and complex hydroxycinnamic acids. Those compounds included mono- to tetraglycosides of quercetin, kaempferol, and cyanidin and derivatives of p-coumaric, ferulic, sinapic, and caffeic acid. Among the compounds characterized, four flavonols, three anthocyanins, and three phenolic acids were identified in the Brassica family for the first time. Aglycones and conjugated polyphenols were quantified by HPLC-DAD using commercially available standards. The main flavonol, anthocyanin, and phenolic acid were kaempferol-3-sinapoyl-diglucoside-7-diglucoside, cyanidin-3-sinapoyl-feruloyl-diglucoside-5-glucoside, and disinapoyl-diglucoside, respectively, each representing 9.8, 10.3, and 4.9% of the total amount of 872 mg polyphenol equivalents per 100 g of fresh kale. Variations between individual plants and growing seasons were of the same order of magnitude for total phenolics and total monomeric anthocyanins.