A simple thin layer chromatographic method to detect the main polyphenols occurring in olive oil vegetation waters

A thin layer chromatographic (TLC) method has been developed to detect the major polyphenols (the main pollutants) in olive oil vegetation waters. The method involves reversed phase TLC (C 18 ‐TLC) and silica gel high performance TLC (Si‐HPTLC) on the organic extracts of oil vegetation waters (VW), using catechol, 4‐methylcatechol, tyrosol, hydroxytyrosol and oleuropein as standards. Using Si‐HPTLC analysis it is possible to detect only tyrosol and hydroxytyrosol, whilst with C 18 ‐TLC analysis all of the main polyphenols present except oleuropein can be detected. Confirmation of the identities of the polyphenolic compounds was obtained by C 18 ‐TLC and Si‐HPTLC analysis of the acetylated organic extracts of VW together with the more stable acetyl derivatives of the phenols as standards.