Extraction of flavan-3-ols from grape seed and skin into wine using simulated maceration

Simulated maceration assays were carried out in wine model systems using increasing ethanol percentages from 0 to 12.5%, in order to study the extraction of flavan-3-ol monomers and oligomers from grape skins and seeds. The amount of flavan-3-ols transferred to the solutions improves with the increase in the alcohol percentage, although flavanols were much more readily released from grape skins than from seeds. Maximum release of flavanols from the skins is reached after 24 h of maceration in 12.5% ethanol, whereas long maceration and higher ethanol percentages were required for extraction from the seeds, from which maximum flavanol extraction was observed after 2-3 weeks of maceration. Thus, the length of the maceration not only had an influence in the total levels of flavanols reached in the wines, but also in their qualitative composition. The contribution of the seeds to the flavanol composition of the model wines was found to range from about 40% at 24 h of maceration in 12.5% ethanol to as high as 90% after 3 weeks. Gallocatechin was the major flavanol contributed by the skins and catechin by the seeds of the grape variety used (Vitis vinifera cv. Viura). Flavanol extraction was also followed during winemaking of commercial red wines, reaching similar conclusions to that obtained from the model assays.     

Phenolic concentrations and antioxidant properties of wines made from north american grapes grown in china

The characteristics of wine phenolics found in several North American and (for comparison) European grape cultivars grown in China were analyzed. This was done to find non-Vitis vinifera wines with prominent features in order to diversify the kinds of wines. The phenolic richness and antioxidant activity decreased in the order: red > rose > white wines. In the red wines, the American grape 'Cynthiana' had the highest total concentrations of phenols, anthocyanins, flavonols and phenolic acids, as well as antioxidant capacity, followed by the French hybrid 'Chambourcin', the lowest were detected in two European grape varieties, 'Merlot' and 'Cabernet Sauvignon', while the total flavon-3-ols levels were reversed among these red grape cultivars. The highest concentration of stilbenes out of all the wines analyzed was found in the 'Merlot' variety. There were significant differences among wine phenolic compositions between North American and European grape cultivars. The antioxidant activities were significantly related to the concentrations of total phenols (r2 = 0.996), anthocyanins (r2 = 0.984), flavonols (r2 = 0.850) and gallic acid (r2 = 0.797). The prominent features of wine aroma and nutrition could make the American grape wines attractive to consumers. It is therefore necessary to perform further research on cultural practices and wine making involving these grapes.     

Characterization of grape seed procyanidins by comprehensive two-dimensional hydrophilic interaction × reversed phase liquid chromatography coupled to diode array detection and tandem mass spectrometry

In this work, the development and optimization of a new methodology to analyze grape seed procyanidins based on the application of two-dimensional comprehensive LC is presented. This two-dimensional method involves the use of a microbore column containing a diol stationary phase in the first dimension coupled to either a C₁₈ partially porous short column or a C₁₈ monolithic column in the second dimension. The orthogonal hydrophilic interaction?×?reversed phase liquid chromatography (HILIC×RP-LC) system is interfaced through a ten-port two-position switching valve. The optimized HILIC×RP-LC separation followed by diode array and tandem mass spectrometry detection (HILIC×RP-LC-DAD-MS/MS) made possible the direct analysis of a complex grape seed extract and allowed the tentative identification of 43 flavan-3-ols, including monomers and procyanidin oligomers till a polymerization degree of 7 units with different galloylation degrees. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that this powerful analytical technique is employed to characterize complex procyanidin samples. This work successfully demonstrates the great capabilities of the HILIC×RP-LC-DAD-MS/MS coupling for the direct analysis of very complex natural samples like grape seeds.

Anthocyanins and flavan-3-ols from grapes and wines of Vitis vinifera cv. Cesanese d'Affile

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the amount of some potential health-promoting phenols in the grape of Vitis vinifera cv. Cesanese d'Affile and in wines made from these grapes. The analyses were performed using HPLC/DAD/MS. The accumulation of anthocyanins in the skin and flavan-3-ols in the seed was determined at different stages of ripening of the grape (i.e. green, veraison, middle stage of ripening, and complete ripening). Thirteen anthocyanins were identified in the skin at all stages of ripening, except the green stage. With regard to flavan-3-ols, (+)-catechin, (-)-epicatechin, and (-)-epicatechin gallate were detected in all of the seed samples. The highest (+)-catechin content was found in the seeds of the green grape (2 mg g(-1) DW), whereas in the seeds from the completely ripe grape the content was more than ten times lower. The highest catechin content in the seed was correlated with the lowest anthocyanin content in the skin. The wines produced in the years 2004 and 2005 showed, at wavelengths of 520 and 280 nm, almost identical quali-quantitative chromatographic profiles, with high concentrations of anthocyanin 3-O-glucosides, low concentrations of acylated anthocyanins, and trace amounts of (+)-catechin and (-)-epicatechin.     

1H and13C NMR spectroscopy in the study of flavan-3-ols, proanthocyanidins, and their derivatives III.13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy of flavan-3-ols and proanthocyanidins

This review discusses the possibilities of using carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy in the investigation of flavan-3-ols, proanthocyanidins, and their derivatives, and reports differences in the spectral behavior of monomers, oligomers and their derivatives and features of the spectra of high-molecular-mass proanthocyanidins.Translated from Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 4, pp. 545–568, July–August, 1997.     

Photochemistry synthesis. Part 2: Enantiomerically pure polyhydroxy-1,1,3-triarylpropan-2-ols

A new method to open the heterocyclic ring of flavan-3-ols via photolytic cleavage of the ether bond, with stereoselective trapping of the intermediates with phloroglucinol to obtain phloroglucinol grafted derivatives of flavan-3-ols, was developed. Photolysis of catechin and epicatechin, respectively, in the presence of phloroglucinol yielded the enantiomeric (1S,2S)- and (1R,2R)-1,3-di(2,4,6-trihydroxyphenyl)-1-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)propan-2-ols, respectively. The absolute configuration at C-1 and C-2 was determined by electronic circular dichroism (experimental and calculated) and these results confirmed that the trapping mechanism is controlled by the C-3 configuration of the flavan-3-ol.     

Oligomeric proanthocyanidins: naturally occurring O-heterocycles

This review covers the flavan-3-ols (catechins), flavan-4-ols/flavan-3,4-diols (leucoanthocyanidins), A-type proanthocyanidins, B-type proanthocyanidins including the procyanidins, prodelphinidins, propelargonidins, proteracacinidins, promelacacinidins, procassinidins, probutinidins, and non-proanthocyanidins with flavan-3-ol constituent units. Newly isolated proanthocyanidins, structure elucidation, syntheses, HPLC/MS analysis, NMR/ conformational analysis, and the effects of proanthocyanidins on human nutrition and health are reported. The literature from January 1999 to December 2001 is reviewed, and 130 references are cited.     

Retention behavior of oligomeric proanthocyanidins in hydrophilic interaction chromatography

A novel method was developed for the separation of proanthocyanidins (PAs; oligomeric flavan-3-ols) by hydrophilic interaction chromatography (HILIC) using an amide-silica column eluting with an aqueous acetonitrile mobile phase. The best separation was achieved with a linear gradient elution of acetonitrile-water at ratios of 9:1 to 5:5 (v/v) for 60 min at a flow rate of 1.0 ml/min. Under these HPLC conditions, a mixture of natural oligomeric PAs (from apple) was separated according to degree of polymerization (DP) up to decamers. The DP of each separated oligomer was confirmed by LC/electrospray ionization MS. In further HILIC separation studies of 15 different flavan-3-ol and oligomeric PA (up to pentamer) standards with an isocratic elution of acetonitrile-water (84:16), a high correlation was observed between the logarithm of retention factors (log k) and the number of hydroxyl groups in their structures. The coefficient of this correlation (r2=0.9501) was larger than the coefficient (r2=0.7949) obtained from the correlation between log k and log P(o/w) values. These data reveal that two effects, i.e. hydrogen bonding between the carbamoyl terminal on the column and the hydroxyl group of solute oligomer and hydrophilicity based on the high-order structure of oligomeric PAs, corporately contribute to the separation, but the hydrogen bonding effect is predominant in our HILIC separation mode.     

Characterization of monomeric and oligomeric flavan-3-ols from barley and malt by liquid chromatography-ultraviolet detection-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry

The pattern of the monomeric and oligomeric flavan-3-ols for 10 barley varieties and the corresponding malts were identified and quantified using high-performance liquid chromatography-ultraviolet detection-electrospray ion trap mass spectrometry. The Folin-Ciocalteau and the vanillin spectrophotometric assays were used for the assessment of the total polyphenol and total flavan-3-ol content, respectively, and the antioxidant activity was determined as the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging activity and the ferricyanide reducing power. Catechin and prodelphinidin B3 were respectively the major monomeric and dimeric flavan-3-ols. Moreover, prodelphinidin B3 was shown to be the main contributor for the radical scavenging activity both for barley and malt.     

Fractionation of apple procyanidins according to their degree of polymerization by normal-phase high-performance liquid chromatography

A new method was developed for the fractionation of procyanidin oligomers according to their degree of polymerization. Monomeric flavan-3-ols and low molecular mass procyanidins were selectively extracted from the lyophilized powder of apple condensed tannins (ACTs) by methyl acetate extraction. Sequentially, the separation of each oligomer from dimer to pentamer in this extract was carried out by normal-phase high-performance liquid chromatography using a silica-beads packed column. The best separation was achieved with a mobile phase system containing hexane; (1) hexane–methanol–ethyl acetate, (2) hexane–acetone. These sequential treatments can be easily adapted to large-scale fractionation.     

Characterization of proanthocyanidins in grape seeds using electrospray mass spectrometry

Two proanthocyanidin (PA) fractions, one (Sdp3) with the mean degree of polymerization (mDP) of 3 and the other (Sdp9) with mDP of 9, were obtained from a Vitis vinifera cv. Shiraz grape seed extract. The PA fractions were directly analyzed by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ES-MS) and negative ion mass spectra were recorded. The mass spectrum of Sdp3 exhibited only singly charged ions corresponding to the molecular mass of PA with a degree of polymerization (DP) up to 9 (nonamers). In contrast, Sdp9 yielded rather complex mass spectra featuring ions with single [M - H](-), double [M - 2H](2-) and triple [M - 3H](3-) charge representing the molecular masses of PAs up to a DP of 28. In addition, the degree of galloylation per procyanidin (DG) was observed to be up to 5 (pentagallates) in Sdp3 and 8 (octagallates) in the Sdp9. This is the first evidence obtained by mass spectrometry for the distribution of grape seed PAs with such a high degree of polymerization and a broad diversity of galloylation. ES-MS data together with the complementary information provided by acid hydrolysis provides a detailed picture of the composition of grape seed PAs.     

Rapid-resolution liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry for determination and quantitation of polyphenols in grape berries

A rapid-resolution liquid chromatography/mass spectrometric (RRLC/MS) method for detection and quantitation of polyphenols in grape berry skins and seeds has been developed. Pulp-free berry skins were treated with liquid nitrogen and ground; seeds were also ground. Then, 3 g of samples were extracted with 30 mL of a mixture of methanol/water/formic acid 70:30:1 (v/v/v) under sonication and 1 microL of the final extract was injected into two 100 x 2.1 mm i.d., 1.8 microm Zorbax Eclipse plus C18 columns connected in series. Compounds were fractionated using a gradient elution of acidified acetonitrile/methanol 50:50 (v/v)/water. Columns were thermostatted at 70 degrees C. MS was carried out on an Agilent 6410 QqQ instrument equipped with an electrospray ionization source. Positive and negative MS/MS product ion scans were used for compound identification, whereas positive full scan MS in the m/z range 200-1400 was used for quantitation. By means of mass spectra comparison, various flavonols, flavan-3-ols, anthocyanins and stilbenes were identified. Quantitation was performed by external calibration, and concentration values were corrected for matrix effect that was evaluated in separate experiments. Semi-quantitative estimation was performed for compounds for which standards were not commercially available. Recoveries ranged from 90-102% with relative standard deviation (RSD) <5%, whereas the between samples RSD was in the range 4-12%. Two surrogate standards were used for quality control. The developed method was applied to analyze the polyphenol content of three Vitis vinifera table cultivars at physiological maturity and after proper preservation for 6 weeks. Results demonstrated that during preservation about half of the polyphenol content was lost.     

Various applications of liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry to the analysis of phenolic compounds.

Different options of liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry were used to establish the most suitable ion source and conditions to analyse or detect some low-molecular mass phenols, flavan-3-ols, and apply such conditions to a complex sample (wine). Data presented in this work confirm the great utility of atmospheric pressure-ionisation electrospray mass spectrometry coupled to HPLC for analysis of phenolic compounds, under negative mode in the case of low-molecular mass phenols, and under both positive and negative modes in flavan-3-ol compounds. A fragmentor voltage of 60 V could be the most suitable for analysing the compounds under study.     

Plasma-substrate interaction: Effect of volatile oligomers in silicone rubber on plasma polymerization of fluorine-containing monomers

The cause of the conspicous Si content consistently observed on plasma polymers deposited on silicone rubber was investigated in this study. Plasma polymers of tetrafluoroethylene and of hexafluoroethane were deposited on the inside surface of Silastic tubings with and without oligomers by using a semicontinuous plasma polymerization reactor. This tube coating reactor is unique in the sense that the only surface which interacts with the plasma is the substrate surface (i.e., inside wall of tubing) and that plasma polymerization occurs in a very small volume of 3.3-mm-I.D. and 2-cm-long section of tubing at any given time. These two factors render the reactor a suitable system for the investigation of plasma-substrate surface interaction. Silastic tubings free of oligomers were prepared by extracting the tubings as received with distilled n-hexane for 3 h which yielded a 3% weight loss. It was found that the conspicuous Si content noted previously was not occasioned by the migration of oligomers through the plasma polymers but was caused by the redeposition of plasma copolymers formed from a mixture of the feed-in monomer and the silicon-containing volatile components evolved from the silicone rubber when exposed to the plasma. The presence of Si-containing compounds in the plasma evidently interfered with the plasma polymerization of tetrafluoroethylene and hexafluoroethane. Without volatile oligomers (the extracted samples), ESCA analysis indicated that the plasma polymers contained large amounts of CF₃, CF₂, and CF moieties, just like most typical plasma polymers of these monomers deposited on nonreactive substrates. With the presence of volatile oligomers, the fluorine content decreased drastically and a significant increase of oxygen-containing and silicon-containing moieties was observed. The influence of the volatile oligomers in the substrate on the balance between ablation and polymerization in plasma polymerization and its energy input level dependence (manifested by W/FM) were studied as well. The results were also discussed in relation to the bicyclic rapid step-growth polymerization mechanism.     

Polymerization of fluorinated diacetylenes

Perfluoroalkylene diacetylenes, HC?C? (CF₂)_n? C?CH, underwent thermal polymerization at 250–350°C to give glassy polymers stable to 450°C. Partial polymerization of the volatile monomers gave oligomers that are processable at atmospheric pressure. Polymers with similar thermal stability were obtained by transition-metal-catalyzed polymerization of the monomers at moderate temperatures.     

Liquid chromatographic/electrospray ionization mass spectrometric studies of proanthocyanidins in foods

The proanthocyanidins in three foods (pinto beans, plums and cinnamon) were studied with electrospray ionization (ESI) mass spectrometry (MS) in the negative mode following separation by normal-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. The MS/MS analysis demonstrated that the major ions derived from heterocyclic ring fission and retro-Diels-Alder reaction of flavan-3-ol provided information about the hydroxylation pattern and type of interflavan bond. The connection sequence of the oligomers was identified through diagnostic ions derived from quinone methide (QM) cleavage of the interflavan bond. Novel heterogeneous B-type proanthocyanidins containing (epi)afzelechin as subunits were identified in pinto beans. Proanthocyanidins with interestingly different A-type linkages were identified in plums and cinnamon. In efforts aimed at extending the identification capacity of ESI-MS to polymers, we found that the polymeric procyanidins fragmented readily instead of forming multiply charged ions in the negative ESI mode. Fragmentation patterns were proposed based on our data obtained by ESI-MS/MS and ESI time-of-flight MS.     

Ultrafiltration as alternative purification procedure for the characterization of low and high molecular-mass phenolics from almond skins

A combination of sample preparation (ultrafiltration) and analysis techniques is proposed for the characterization of complex phenolic mixtures such as extracts from almond (Prunus dulcis (Mill.) D.A. Webb) skins. LC/ESI-MS analysis of the permeates obtained after ultrafiltration on semipermeable membranes (low molecular-mass phenolic fractions) allowed the identification of several benzoic acids and aldehydes, flavan-3-ol monomers and oligomers, and flavonol and flavanone glycosides in almond skins. MALDI-TOF and ESI-MS/MS analysis of the diafiltered concentrates (high molecular-mass phenolic fractions) demonstrated the presence of proanthocyanidin oligomers up to decamers, composed of (epi)afzelechin, (epi)catechin and (epi)gallocatechin units linked by CC bonds (type B) and by both CC and CO bonds (type A). This analytical protocol can be of utility in the study of low and high molecular-mass phenolic compounds in natural products.     

High-performance liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization mass spectrometric characterization of new products formed by the reaction between flavanols and malvidin 3-glucoside in the presence of acetaldehyde

Monomer and polymer flavan-3-ols and anthocyanins are the two major groups of phenolic compounds in red wine and one of the most important reactions during red wine ageing is the condensation reaction, either direct or indirect, between these two classes of compounds. In this work, the reaction of (+)-catechin, (-)-epicatechin and dimer procyanidin B2 with malvidin 3-glucoside, in the presence of acetaldehyde, was carried out in wine model solutions at pH 1.7 and 3.2. Identification of the reaction products was carried out by high-performance liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (HPLC/ESI-MS) and MS(n) analysis. Various reaction products were detected. The structures of three condensation products - malvidin-3-glucoside-ethyl-(epi)catechin-1'-hydroxyethyl, malvidin-3-glucoside-ethyl-dimer-vinyl and malvidin-3-glucoside-ethyl-dimer-1'-hydroxyethyl - were identified in a model solution for the first time. Moreover, in the reaction solution containing dimer B2 at pH 3.2, monomer epicatechin, trimer and tetramer procyanidins were also detected indicating that, under these conditions, dimer procyanidins can either be hydrolyzed to monomers or polymerized to higher oligomer or polymers.     

Antioxidant oligomeric proanthocyanidins from Cistus salvifolius

The purified proanthocyanidin oligomers of Cistus salvifolius herb extract accounted for 78% of the total proanthocyanidins and 73% of the total antioxidant activity of this extract. To elucidate the structure of the oligomer, it was depolymerized by acid catalysis in the presence of phloroglucinol. The structures of the resulting flavan-3-ols and phloroglucinol adducts were determined on the basis of 1D- and reverse 2D-NMR (HSQC, HMBC) experiments of their peracetylated derivatives, MALDI-TOF-MS and CD spectroscopy. These observations resulting from the degradation with phloroglucinol were confirmed by 13C NMR spectroscopy of the oligomer. The mean molecular weight of the higher oligomeric fraction was estimated to be 5-6 flavan-3-ol-units.