Cover Feature: Stereochemistry of a Cyclic Epicatechin Trimer with C₃ Symmetry Produced by Oxidative Coupling (Eur. J. Org. Chem. 5/2021)

Abstract

The Cover Feature shows the structure of a cyclic epicatechin trimer produced by oxidative coupling. The trimer has a C3 symmetric structure shaped like three cats sleeping. Its stereostructure was assigned on the basis of various spectroscopic data, including theoretical calculations of the NMR and ECD data. Epicatechin is a type of plant polyphenol and is present in various foods such as green tea, apples, grapes, and cocoa. During black tea production, various dimers and trimers of tea catechins, probably including the cyclic epicatechin trimer as well, are generated via enzymatic oxidation. More information can be found in the Communication by Y. Matsuo, T. Tanaka et al.