Evaluation of Total Phenols and HPLC Analysis of Phenolic Acids in Various Organs of the Capparis spinosa L.

Capparis spinosa L. is a small shrub belonging to the Capparidaceae family. The leaves, young shoots, buds, flowers, and fruits of this plant are rich in phenolic acids, alkaloids, flavonoids, and glucosinolates, making them valuable for various culinary and medicinal applications. This study aimed to analyze the quantity and quality (HPLC) of phenolic acids of various parts of C. spinosa. Samples of caper (immature fruits, mature fruits, fully ripe fruits, immature buds, swollen buds, half-open buds, fully open flowers, and mature leaves) were collected from its natural habitats, and the total phenol content and phenolic acids were measured. Our results revealed that immature buds of C. spinosa contained high levels of p-hydroxybenzoic acid, vanillic acid, caffeic acid, cinnamic acid, salicylic acid, and ferulic acid. Swollen buds had relatively high levels of p-hydroxybenzoic acid and cinnamic acid. Half -open buds contained relatively high levels of gallic acid and protocatechuic acid. Immature fruits were rich in total phenols. Fully ripe fruits also had high levels of total phenols and m-coumaric acid. The flowers were rich in phenolic acids such as protocatechuic acid, rosmarinic acid, salicylic acid, gallic acid, and p-coumaric acid. The mature leaves of the plant contained high levels of salicylic acid, p-coumaric acid, m-coumaric acid, cinnamic acid, and gallic acid. Overall, immature buds, flowers, immature fruits, and leaves had high amounts of phenolic acids, respectively. Additionally, as the buds and fruits matured further, the levels of most phenolic acids in these organs decreased.