Gallic acid (3,4,5 trihydroxybenzoic acid) is a secondary metabolite present in most plants. This metabolite is known to exhibit a range of bioactivities including antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer. There are various methods to analyze gallic acid including spectrometry, chromatography, and capillary electrophoresis, among others. They have been developed to identify and quantify this active ingredient in most biological matrices. The aim of this article is to review the available information on analytical methods for gallic acid, as well as presenting the advantages and limitations of each technique.

Revista Brasileira de Farmacognosia 25 (2015) 208-211 w w w . s b f g n o s i a . o r g . b r / r e v i s t a a b s t r a c tThe aim of this work was to develop and validate an analytical method for the identification of the chemical marker of Schinopsis brasiliensis Engl., Anacardiaceae. It would determine the total polyphenols and flavonoid content by spectrophotometric methodology in the dried extract of plant. The chromatographic profiles of S. brasiliensis were determined using HPLC-UV. The liquid chromatography method was conducted on a Phenomenex Gemini NX C18 column (250 × 4.6 mm, 5 m). The mobile phase consisted of 0.05% orthophosphoric acid: methanol. The flow rate was 1 ml/min and effluents were monitored at 271 nm. The retention time for gallic acid was 8.5 min. The described method has the advantage of being both rapid and easy. Hence it can be applied for routine quality control analysis of herbal preparation containing S. brasiliensis.

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Poincianella pyramidalis (Tul.) LP Queiroz (Fabaceae) is an endemic tree of northeastern Brazil, occurring mainly in the Caatinga. Its medicinal use is widespread and is an important therapeutic option against diarrhea, dysentery, and respiratory and urinary infections, among other diseases. In this study we determined the chemical marker and evaluated the interaction between P. pyramidalis extract and a commercial antimicrobial through the use of biological and analytical models. To obtain the extract, an ethanol-water mixture (50:50 v/v) was used as solvent. It was nebulized in a spray dryer using colloidal silicon dioxide as a drying adjuvant. The extract (ENPp) was subjected to HPLC analysis to verify the presence of certain secondary metabolites. The Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) of the extract against Gram-negative bacteria was determined by broth microdilution and the MIC of synthetic antimicrobial drugs in the presence and absence of the extract. The antioxidant activity of ENPp was evaluated by the DPPH method. The compatibility between the antimicrobial and the extract was evaluated by thermal analysis (TG/DTA). The acute toxicity of the extract was evaluated in vivo in rodents. The results indicate significant additive action of the extract on synthetic antibiotics, considerable antioxidant activity and absence of toxicity. This extract shows high potential for the development of formulations for antimicrobial therapy when used with a vegetable-active ingredient.