Direct mass spectrometry approaches to characterize polyphenol composition of complex samples.
Lower molecular weight polyphenols including proanthocyanidin oligomers can be analyzed after HPLC separation on either reversed-phase or normal phase columns. However, these techniques are time consuming and can have poor resolution as polymer chain length and structural diversity increase. The detection of higher molecular weight compounds, as well as the determination of molecular weight distributions, remain major challenges in polyphenol analysis. Approaches based on direct mass spectrometry (MS) analysis that are proposed to help overcome these problems are reviewed. Thus, direct flow injection electrospray ionization mass spectrometry analysis can be used to establish polyphenol fingerprints of complex extracts such as in wine. This technique enabled discrimination of samples on the basis of their phenolic (i.e. anthocyanin, phenolic acid and flavan-3-ol) compositions, but larger oligomers and polymers were poorly detectable. Detection of higher molecular weight proanthocyanidins was also restricted with matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI) MS, suggesting that they are difficult to desorb as gas-phase ions. The mass distribution of polymeric fractions could, however, be determined by analyzing the mass distributions of bovine serum albumin/proanthocyanidin complexes using MALDI-TOF-MS.
Fulcrand
Hélène
H
INRA-UMR 1083, 2, Place Viala, 34060 Montpellier cedex, France.
Mané
Carine
C
Preys
Sébastien
S
Mazerolles
Gérard
G
Bouchut
Claire
C
Mazauric
Jean-Paul
JP
Souquet
Jean-Marc
JM
Meudec
Emmanuelle
E
Li
Yan
Y
Cole
Richard B
RB
Cheynier
Véronique
V
D045424:Complex Mixtures / Q000737:chemistry*; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000737:chemistry*; D013058:Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods*; D015394:Molecular Structure; D010636:Phenols / Q000737:chemistry*; D059808:Polyphenols; D044945:Proanthocyanidins / Q000737:chemistry; D014920:Wine / Q000032:analysis
D045424:Complex Mixtures; D005419:Flavonoids; D010636:Phenols; D059808:Polyphenols; D044945:Proanthocyanidins