Characterisation by liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray ionisation ion trap mass spectrometry of phloroglucinol and 4-methylcatechol oxidation products to study the reactivity of epicatechin in an apple juice model system

A method on acrylamide elimination: Comparing and tracing reaction pathways of acrylamide and catechin (catechin quinone) using UHPLC-Q-exactive orbitrap mass spectrometry

Acrylamide (AA) elimination is significant in thermal-processing foods that rich in carbohydrate and asparagine. Here, catechin (CAT) and its quinone were utilized to investigate and evaluate the reaction rate of AA's characteristics (electrophilicity, oxidizing ability, and nucleophilicity) and trace the reaction pathways to eliminate AA in model system at 25 °C and 150 °C. It is revealed that AA prefers nucleophilic additions with quinone (k_AA-CATQ = 1.1E-2 min^-1 > k_AA-CAT = 3.1E-3 min^-1). It is prone to react with the B ring of CAT (k_AA-4MC = 1.4E-3 min^-1) via the redox reaction, rather than the A ring (k_AA-PHL = 1.0E-4 min^-1) through the electrophilic reaction. For the investigation of unknown products resulting from the above reactions, a process incorporating mechanism and tentative product speculation was implemented. Thirteen products were partially detected based on the extracted ion chromatography and MS spectrum from UHPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap Mass Spectrometry. These results provide a new perspective to eliminate AA in thermal-processing foods.

NMR structural elucidation of dehydrodimers resulting from oxidation of 5-O-caffeoylquinic acid in an apple juice model solution

During apple juice and cider-making processes, phenolic compounds undergo enzymatic oxidation. 5-O-caffeoylquinic acid (CQA) is one of the major hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives and it is the preferential substrate for polyphenol oxidase (PPO) in apple juices. Consequently, CQA dehydrodimers (MW 706 Da) are among the main products resulting from CQA oxidation. CQA dehydrodimers were previously synthesized in a biomimetic apple juice model solution. Following their purification and characterization using UV-Visible spectra and mass spectrometry, the structures of seven CQA dehydrodimers were elucidated using ¹H and ¹³C one- and two-dimensional NMR spectroscopy. Six of them exhibited dihydrobenzofuran, benzodioxane, or dihydronaphtalene skeletons, which are caffeicin-like structures. Interestingly, a new dehydrodicaffeoyldiquinic acid molecule was also characterised for which two novel structures showing a symmetric dicatechol skeleton were also proposed.

Reactivity of flavanols: Their fate in physical food processing and recent advances in their analysis by depolymerization

Flavanols, a subgroup of polyphenols, are secondary metabolites with antioxidant properties naturally produced in various plants (e.g., green tea, cocoa, grapes, and apples); they are a major polyphenol class in human foods and beverages, and have recognized effect on maintaining human health. Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate their changes (i.e., oxidation, polymerization, degradation, and epimerization) during various physical processing (i.e., heating, drying, mechanical shearing, high-pressure, ultrasound, and radiation) to improve the nutritional value of food products. However, the roles of flavanols, in particular for their polymerized forms, are often underestimated, for a large part because of analytical challenges: they are difficult to extract quantitatively, and their quantification demands chemical reactions. This review examines the existing data on the effects of different physical processing techniques on the content of flavanols and highlights the changes in epimerization and degree of polymerization, as well as some of the latest acidolysis methods for proanthocyanidin characterization and quantification. More and more evidence show that physical processing can affect content but also modify the structure of flavanols by promoting a series of internal reactions. The most important reactivity of flavanols in processing includes oxidative coupling and rearrangements, chain cleavage, structural rearrangements (e.g., polymerization, degradation, and epimerization), and addition to other macromolecules, that is, proteins and polysaccharides. Some acidolysis methods for the analysis of polymeric proanthocyanidins have been updated, which has contributed to complete analysis of proanthocyanidin structures in particular regarding their proportion of A-type proanthocyanidins and their degree of polymerization in various plants. However, future research is also needed to better extract and characterize high-polymer proanthocyanidins, whether in their native or modified forms.

Interactions between polyphenol oxidation products and salivary proteins: Specific affinity of CQA dehydrodimers with cystatins and P-B peptide

Throughout the apple juice and cider making process, polyphenols undergo enzymatic oxidation which generates a great variety of polyphenol oxidation products. Since 5'-O-Caffeoylquinic acid (CQA) is one of the major phenolic compounds and the preferential substrate for polyphenoloxidase in apple juice, its oxidation leads to the formation of newly formed molecules by which dehydrodimers (MW 706 Da) are included. Interactions of salivary proteins (SP) with native polyphenols is a well-known phenomenon, but their interactions with polyphenol oxidation products has not been studied yet. In this work, we decided to decipher the interactions between CQA dehydrodimers and SP (gPRPs, aPRPs, statherins/P-B peptide, and cystatins) using HPLC-UV and fluorescence. These results showed that contrary to what was expected, CQA dehydrodimers presented a low interaction with PRPs, but revealed a specific interaction with statherins/P-B peptide and cystatins. This work settles for the first time the interactions between SP and polyphenol oxidation products.

Degradation of (-)-epicatechin and procyanidin B2 in aqueous and lipidic model systems. first evidence of "chemical" flavan-3-ol oligomers in processed cocoa

Despite the key role of flavan-3-ols in many foods, very little is yet known concerning the modification of their chemical structures through food processes. Degradation of model media containing (-)-epicatechin and procyanidin B2, either separately or together, was monitored by RP-HPLC-DAD-ESI(-)-MS/MS. Medium composition (aqueous or lipidic) and temperature (60 and 90 °C) were studied. In aqueous medium at 60 °C, (-)-epicatechin was mainly epimerized to (-)-catechin, but it was also oxidized to "chemical" dimers, a "chemical" trimer, and dehydrodi(epi)catechin A. Unlike oxidation, epimerization was enhanced at 90 °C. In lipidic medium, epimerization proved slow but degradation was faster. Procyanidin B2 likewise proved able to epimerize, especially at 90 °C and in aqueous medium. At high temperature only, the interflavan linkage was cleaved, yielding the same compounds as those found in the monomer-containing model medium. Oxidation to procyanidin A2 was also evidenced. With little epimerization and slow oxidation even at 90 °C, procyanidin B2 proved more stable in lipidic medium. Synergy was also observed: in the presence of the monomer, the dimer degradation rate increased 2-fold at 60 °C. This work states for the first time the presence of newly formed flavan-3-ol oligomers in processed cocoa.

Measuring protection of aromatic wine thiols from oxidation by competitive reactions vs wine preservatives with ortho-quinones

Quinones are central intermediates in wine oxidation that can degrade the quality of wine by reactions with varietal thiols, such as 3-sulfanylhexanol, decreasing desirable aroma. Protection by wine preservatives (sulphur dioxide, glutathione, ascorbic acid and model tannin, phloroglucinol) was assessed by competitive sacrificial reactions with 4-methyl-1,2-benzoquinone, quantifying products and ratios by HPLC-UV-MS. Regioselectivity was assessed by product isolation and identification by NMR spectroscopy. Nucleophilic addition reactions compete with two electron reduction of quinones by sulphur dioxide or ascorbic acid, and both routes serve as effective quenching pathways, but minor secondary products from coupled redox reactions between the products and reactants are also observed. The wine preservatives were all highly reactive and thus all very protective against 3-sulfanylhexanol loss to the quinone, but showed only additive antioxidant effects. Confirmation of these reaction rates and pathways in wine is needed to assess the actual protective action of each tested preservative.

Quantitative fate of chlorogenic acid during enzymatic browning of potato juice

The quantitative fate of chlorogenic acid (ChA) during enzymatic browning of potato juice was investigated. Potato juice was prepared in water without the use of any antibrowning agent (OX treatment). As a control, a potato juice was prepared in the presence of NaHSO(3) (S control). To study the composition of phenolic compounds in potato in their native states, also a potato extract was made with 50% (v/v) methanol containing 0.5% (v/v) acetic acid (MeOH control). Water-soluble low molecular weight fractions (LMWFs) and high molecular weight fractions (HMWFs) from S and OX extracts were obtained by ultrafiltration and dialysis, respectively. Pellets obtained after the OX treatment and the S and MeOH controls were also analyzed for ChA content. Whereas in the S-LMWF all ChA was converted to sulfonic acid adducts, no free ChA was found in the OX-LMWF, indicating its high reactivity upon enzymatic browning. Analysis of protein in the HMWFs showed a higher content of "reacted" ChA in OX (49.8 ± 7.1 mg ChA/100 g potato DW) than in S (14.4 ± 1.5 mg ChA/100 g potato DW), as evidenced by quinic acid release upon alkaline hydrolysis. The presence of quinic acid in S-HMWF was unexpected, but a mass balance incorporating the ChA content of LMWF, HMWF, and pellet for the three extractions suggested that ChA might have been attached to polymeric material, soluble in the aqueous environment of S but not in that of MeOH. Size exclusion chromatography, combined with proteolysis, revealed that ChA reacted with patatin and protease inhibitors to produce brown soluble complexes.

Characterization of procyanidin B2 oxidation products in an apple juice model solution and confirmation of their presence in apple juice by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray ion trap mass spectrometry

Procyanidins (i.e. condensed tannins) are polyphenols commonly found in fruits. During juice and cider making, apple polyphenol oxidase catalyzes the oxidation of caffeoylquinic acid (CQA) into its corresponding o-quinone which further reacts with procyanidins and other polyphenols, leading to the formation of numerous oxidation products. However, the structure and the reaction pathways of these neoformed phenolic compounds are still largely unknown. Experiments were carried out on a model system to gain insights into the chemical processes occurring during the initial steps of fruit processing. Procyanidin B2 was oxidized by caffeoylquinic acid o-quinone (CQAoq) in an apple juice model solution. The reaction products were monitored using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled to ultraviolet (UV)-visible and electrospray tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-MS/MS) in the negative mode. Oxidative conversion of procyanidin B2 ([M-H](-) at m/z 577) into procyanidin A2 at m/z 575 was unambiguously confirmed. In addition, several classes of products were characterized by their deprotonated molecules ([M-H](-)) and their MS/MS fragmentation patterns: hetero-dimers (m/z 929) and homo-dimers (m/z 1153 and 705) resulting from dimerization involving procyanidin and CQA molecules; intramolecular addition products at m/z 575, 573, 927, 1151 and 703. Interestingly, no extensive polymerization was observed. Analysis of a cider apple juice enabled comparison with the results obtained on a biosynthetic model solution. However, procyanidin A2 did not accumulate but seemed to be an intermediate in the formation of an end-product at m/z 573 for which two structural hypotheses are given. These structural modifications of native polyphenols as a consequence of oxidation probably have an impact on the organoleptic and nutritional properties of apple juices and other apple-derived foods.

Characterization of flavonoids in Millettia nitida var. hirsutissima by HPLC/DAD/ESI-MS n

Millettia nitida var. hirsutissima is a Chinese herbal medicine used for the treatment of gynecological diseases. An HPLC/DAD/ESI-MSⁿ method was established for the rapid separation and characterization of bioactive flavonoids in M. nitida var. hirsutissima. A total of 32 flavonoids were detected, of which 14 compounds were unambiguously characterized by comparing their retention time, UV, and MS spectra with those of the reference standards, and the others were tentatively identified based on their tandem mass spectrometry fragmentation data obtained in the negative ionization mode on line. Nineteen of these compounds characterized were reported from this plant for the first time.