A method was developed for the fractionation of grape and wine
proanthocyanidins according to
their degree of polymerization. The grape and wine
proanthocyanidins were fractionated on C18
Sep-Pak cartridges into three fractions by different organic solvents.
The combination of TLC,
analytic HPLC, and degradation with toluene-α-thiol confirmed that
these three fractions contained,
respectively, monomeric flavan-3-ols (catechins), oligomeric
proanthocyanidins, and polymeric
proanthocyanidins. The mean degrees of polymerization for
oligomeric and polymeric proanthocyanidins in red wine were, respectively, 4.8 and 22.1, and those in the
seed extract, 9.8 and 31.5.
The method proposed is very interesting for the study of grape and
wine proanthocyanidins according
to their degree of polymerization, and a further quantification is also
possible.
Keywords: Grape; wine; catechins; proanthocyanidins; C18
Sep-Pak cartridge; fractionation
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