A comparison of the hplc,mass spectra,and acid degradation of theafulvins from black tea and proanthocyanidin polymers from wine and cider

The HPLC chromatograms, mass spectra, and acid degradation of a theafulvin fraction (a fraction of polymeric thearubigins) and proanthocyanidin polymers from cider and wine were compared. The cider, wine, and theafulvin fractions ran as broad bands on a Hamilton PRP-1 column. The cider and wine polymers gave positive-ion FAB spectra characteristic of proanthocyanidin polymers, but the theafulvins gave low-molecular-mass flavanol fragments only. The cider and wine polymers gave cyanidin on acid degradation, the reaction products being analysed by HPLC on a Hamilton PRP-1 column. The theafulvins gave mainly material that ran close to the void volume of the HPLC column. These experiments provided support for previous conclusions, that the theafulvins are flavanol polymers with different intermonomer linkages to the proanthocyanidin polymers.