Methods in Polyphenol Chemistry documents the proceedings of the Plant Phenolics Group Symposium held at the University of Oxford, on 2-4 April 1963. The symposium focused on the methods and techniques which made advances in the chemistry and biochemistry of phenolic compounds possible. The development of paper chromatographic and ultraviolet spectroscopic techniques was particularly important and largely responsible for the rapid growth in knowledge of polyphenols which has occurred during the last 10-15 years. In addition to these two methods other spectroscopic techniques were dealt with at the symposium. Particular mention should perhaps be made of nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy which is becoming increasingly important in polyphenol chemistry. Modern chromatographic methods such as thin layer and gas-liquid techniques will probably be used extensively in the future. These will enable the analyses of polyphenol mixtures to be carried out more rapidly and with greater resolution. Polyamide chromatography also has high powers of resolution, although this technique has not been widely used owing to difficulties in obtaining supplies of polyamide powder. This situation has now improved, however.
