The use of extracted-ion chromatograms to quantify the composition of condensed tannin subunits.

RATIONALE: The analysis of tannins is currently usually done by liquid chromatography after the chemical depolymerization of tannins. However, one of the main limitations of this method is the difficulty in specifically detecting each constitutive tannin monomer in a complex matrix, as numerous compounds co-elute with the monomers, thereby compromising the analysis. METHODS: The depolymerization of tannins under acidic conditions and in the presence of thioglycolic acid releases the various constitutive monomers, either as terminal units or as extension units. The tannin subunits were then quantified using extracted-ion chromatogram (EIC) mass spectrometry, which required the determination of the ionization efficiency of the monomers. Thus, we used AgBF4-assisted coupling for the hemisynthesis of the noncommercial epicatechin gallate dimer. RESULTS: The EIC showed that the derivatives of the extension units were twice as ionized as the terminal units. Unlike the UV chromatograms, this new EIC-based method is more specific and accurate because it is not impacted by the co-elution phenomenon. This result, when added to the linearity obtained on a large range of the calibration curves, allowed for quantification of tannin subunits from EIC in complex mixtures with less pretreatment of the samples. CONCLUSIONS: Due to its specificity and sensitivity, this EIC-based method represents a significant step toward improving the quantification of the tannin composition of samples. The results of this study should allow the oxidation markers to be quantified more accurately and taken into account, thereby providing a better indication of the actual tannin composition.