Characterization of new flavan-3-ol derivatives in fermented cocoa beans

Two series of compounds showing mass signals at m/z 605 and 893 (negative ionization mode) have been detected in fermented cocoa beans. This study objective is to identify these mass signals and characterize their structure in fermented cocoa samples. Our hypothesis is that these signals may correspond to ethyl-bridged flavan-3-ols resulting from flavan-3-ol condensation with acetaldehyde which is a microbial metabolite. Mass spectrometry was used to compare the retention times and mass fragmentation patterns between a model solution using epicatechin and procyanidin dimer B2, the major flavan-3-ols of cocoa, as precursors and extracts of fermented cocoa. Their identification was confirmed: four isomers of ethyl-linked epicatechin as well as several isomers of epicatechin-ethyl-procyanidin B2, in which B2 was mostly linked through its upper unit, were characterized in cocoa. This study demonstrates the presence of flavan-3-ol acetaldehyde condensation products in fermented cocoa beans and provides the first report of epicatechin-ethyl-procyanidin B2

Decreasing the complexity of UHPLC-HR/AM-MS data by targeted Kendrick mass defect filtering and 3D Van Krevelen representation strategies to monitor wine polyphenol polymerisation

Decreasing the complexity of UHPLC-HR/AM-MS data by targeted Kendrick mass defect filtering and 3D Van Krevelen representation strategies to monitor wine polyphenol polymerisation. JFSM 2016 33. journées françaises de spectrométrie de mass

The hidden face of wine polyphenol polymerization highlighted by high-resolution mass spectrometry

Two plus one makes an infinity: the wine polyphenol icebergPolyphenols, including tannins and red anthocyanin pigments, are responsible for the color, taste, and beneficial health properties of plant-derived foods and beverages, especially in red wines. Known compounds represent only the emerged part of the “wine polyphenol iceberg”. It is believed that the immersed part results from complex cascades of reactions involving grape polyphenols and yeast metabolites. We used a non-targeted strategy based on high-resolution mass spectrometry and Kendrick mass defect plots to explore this hypothesis. Reactions of acetaldehyde, epicatechin, and malvidin-3-O-glucoside, representing yeast metabolites, tannins, and anthocyanins, respectively, were selected for a proof-of-concept experiment. A series of compounds including expected and so-far-unknown structures were detected. Random polymerization involving both the original substrates and intermediate products resulting from cascade reactions was demonstrated

Home Cooking and Phenolics: Effect of Thermal Treatment and Addition of Extra Virgin Olive Oil on the Phenolic Profile of Tomato Sauces

Tomato products are a key component of the Mediterranean diet, which is strongly related to a reduced risk of cardiovascular events. The effect of cooking time (15, 30, 45, and 60 min) and the addition of extra virgin olive oil (5 and 10%) on the phenolic content of tomato sauces was monitored using liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry. Concentration of phenolics in the tomato sauces decreased during the cooking process, with the exception of caffeic acid and tyrosol. The main degradation observed was the oxidation of quercetin, since the hydroxy-function at the C-ring of this flavonoid is not blocked by a sugar moiety, unlike rutin. Higher levels of virgin olive oil in tomato sauce seemed to enhance the extraction of phenolic compounds from the tomato, leading to higher phenolic contents in the sauces. Thus, the food matrix containing the phenolic compounds plays a crucial role in determining their accessibility

Les polyphénols du raisin : Analyse MRM rapide pour explorer la réponse métabolique de résistance à la sècheresse

Les polyphénols du raisin : Analyse MRM rapide pour explorer la réponse métabolique de résistance à la sècheresse. Congrès français de Spectrométrie de Masse et d'Analyse Protéomique (SMAP 2015

Fast Discrimination of Chocolate Quality Based on Average-Mass-Spectra Fingerprints of Cocoa Polyphenols

This work aims to sort cocoa beans according to chocolate sensory quality and phenolic composition. Prior tothe study, cocoa samples were processed into chocolate in a standard manner, and then the chocolate was characterized bysensory analysis, allowing sorting of the samples into four sensory groups. Two objectives were set:first to use average massspectra as quick cocoa-polyphenol-extractfingerprints and second to use thosefingerprints and chemometrics to select themolecules that discriminate chocolate sensory groups. Sixteen cocoa polyphenol extracts were analyzed by liquidchromatography−low-resolution mass spectrometry. Averaging each mass spectrum provided polyphenolicfingerprints,which were combined into a matrix and processed with chemometrics to select the most meaningful molecules fordiscrimination of the chocolate sensory groups. Forty-four additional cocoa samples were used to validate the previous results.Thefingerprinting method proved to be quick and efficient, and the chemometrics highlighted 29m/zsignals of known andunknown molecules, mainlyflavan-3-ols, enabling sensory-group discrimination

Les tanins du raisin : MRM rapide pour explorer la réponse métabolique de résistance à la sécheresse

Les tanins du raisin : MRM rapide pour explorer la réponse métabolique de résistance à la sécheresse. Congrès français de Spectrométrie de Masse et d'Analyse Protéomique (SMAP 2015

Characterization of the phenolic and antioxidant profiles of selected culinary herbs and spices: caraway, turmeric, dill, marjoram and nutmeg

Culinary herbs and spices have long been considered essentially as flavor enhancers or preservatives, with little attention given to their potential health-promoting properties. Nevertheless, recent research has shown them to be significant dietary sources of bioactive phenolic compounds. Despite noteworthy efforts performed in recent years to improve our knowledge of their chemical composition, a detailed phenolic profile of these plant-based products is still lacking. In the present work, antioxidant activities and phenolic composition of five herbs and spices, namely caraway, turmeric, dill, marjoram and nutmeg, have been studied. The use of liquid chromatography coupled to LTQ-Orbitrap mass spectrometry enabled the identification of up to 42 phenolic compounds. To the best of our knowledge, two of them, apigenin-C-hexoside-C-pentoside and apigenin-C-hexoside-C-hexoside have not been previously reported in turmeric. Qualitative and quantitative differences were observed in polyphenol profiles, with the highest phenolic content found in caraway. Multivariate statistical treatment of the results allowed the detection of distinctive features among the studied herbs and spices

A comprehensive study on the phenolic profile of widely used culinary herbs and spices: Rosemary, thyme, oregano, cinnamon, cumin and bay

Herbs and spices have long been used to improve the flavour of food without being considered as nutritionally significant ingredients. However, the bioactive phenolic content of these plant-based products is currently attracting interest.In the present work, liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution/accurate mass measurement LTQ-Orbitrap mass spectrometry was applied for the comprehensive identification of phenolic constituents of six of the most widely used culinary herbs (rosemary, thyme, oregano and bay) and spices (cinnamon and cumin). In this way, up to 52 compounds were identified in these culinary ingredients, some of them, as far as we know, for the first time. In order to establish the phenolic profiles of the different herbs and spices, accurate quantification of the major phenolics was performed by multiple reaction monitoring in a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer. Multivariate statistical treatment of the results allowed the assessment of distinctive features among the studied herbs and spices. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved