For the quantification of total phenols we used the method adopted by BIELESKI and TURNER (1966) and JENNINGS (1991), removing a sample of the leaves from each experimental unit, placing it in a porcelain pot and macerating it with more 3.0 mL of the MCA solution (methanol, chloroform and water (6.0/2.5/1.5). This extract was conditioned in eppendorf tubes properly identified, which were taken to the centrifuge for 20 minutes, at 20ºC and 6000 rpm. After the centrifugation, we removed 2.0 mL of the supernatant and placed it in identified test tubes, along with 1.0 mL of chloroform and 1.5 mL of distilled water, stirring it right after. Following, we removed 0.5 mL of the upper part of the supernatant,placed in another test tube along with 0,5 mL of distilled water and 0.5 mL of the reagent Folin –Cocalteau diluted 1:10. After 15 minutes, we added 5.0 mL of the alkaline reagent composed by sodium carbonate at 2% in solution of sodium hydroxide0.1 N. Again this solution was stirred and after 50 minutes we conducted the reading through the
spectrophotometer at 760 nm in order to obtain the values of absorbance.