FACTORS AFFECTING CHLOROGENIC, QUINIC AND CAFFEIC ACID LEVELS IN SUNFLOWER KERNELS

SUMMARY— Location of the seed on the sunflower head and storage temperatures were related to chlorogenic, caffeic, and quinic acid levels. Kernels of freshly harvested sunflower seeds located near the center of the head were higher in chlorogenic acid than seeds located near the margin. The opposite was obtained for the caffeic acid content, and quinic acid did not exhibit a positional effect. Chlorogenic acid content decreased during storage at 5°C, 15°C, and 40°C for 120 days; seeds attained the same levels of chlorogenic acid but varied slightly among treatments. Relatively small changes occurred in the caffeic and quinic acids content during storage.