ABSTRACT.
Flavonoids are important essential substances and enter the body with plant foods or medicinal
plants rich in flavonoid compounds. Flavonoids have a wide range of biological activity (antioxidant, antibacterial).
Methods of qualitative and quantitative determination of flavonoids on the basis of colour reactions involving such trace
elements as magnesium, zinc and aluminium, which participate in reductive reactions of flavanoids and give red (magnesium), orange (zinc), yellow (aluminium) colouring, are considered in this work. The role of these trace elements in
the organism and the mechanism of their chemical action used in methods of quantitative and qualitative analysis of
flavonols and flavones content in extracts of Zea mays (Common Corn) are presented. Four qualitative reactions were
carried out to establish the presence of flavonoids in the extracts: Wilson's, cyanidine assay, reaction with alkali, reaction with aluminium chloride, which gave positive results with Zea mays (Common Corn) extracts, which confirmed
the presence of flavanoids in them. For the quantitative determination of flavonoids, spectrophotometry at 415 nm was
used by reaction with aluminium chloride in terms of quercetin. A calibration chart was previously constructed with dilutions of quercetin in the presence of aluminium chloride. According to the results of spectrophotometry it was found
that the mass fraction of flavonols and flavones in the analysed sample of Zea mays (Common Corn) was 18 % mg/g
dry weight. According to our results, we can reliably say that stigmas and pistils of Zea mays (Maize ordinary) are a
promising and rich source of flavonoids. It is expedient to further use magnesium, zinc and aluminium in the development of new methods for the determination of flavonoids.
KEYWORDS: flavonoids, magnesium, zinc, aluminium, Common Corn, method.