Michael Hellwig

BACKGROUND Three different organic sunflower seed cakes, produced from seeds differing in the content of their hulls, were extracted by two different extraction methods – conventional extraction (CE) and ultrasound‐assisted extraction (UAE). The total phenolic compound (TPC) content of the extracts was evaluated using Folin–Ciocâlteu reagent (FCR) and high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The antioxidant capacity of extracts was evaluated with the Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) and 2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assays. RESULTS The results showed that both extracts displayed high TPC content and antioxidant capacity. The UAE method showed significantly higher TPC content and antioxidant capacity values than CE. Individual phenolic compounds such as chlorogenic acid (CGA) isomers (3‐, 4‐ and 5‐ O ‐caffeoylquinic acids), di‐CGA isomers, and feruloylquinic and coumaroylquinic acids were identified according to their exact masses by HPLC coupled to time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry. CONCLUSION The results revealed that the UAE method could be used effectively to facilitate the extraction of phenolic compounds from sunflower seed cake. © 2023 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.