title: Profiles of phenolic compounds and purine alkaloids during the development of seeds of Theobroma cacao cv. Trinitario.
abstract: Changes occurring in phenolic compounds and purine alkaloids, during the growth of seeds of cacao (Theobroma cacao) cv. Trinitario, were investigated using HPLC-MS/MS. Extracts of seeds with a fresh weight of 125, 700, 1550, and 2050 mg (stages 1-4, respectively) were analyzed. The phenolic compounds present in highest concentrations in developing and mature seeds (stages 3 and 4) were flavonols and flavan-3-ols. Flavan-3-ols existed as monomers of epicatechin and catechin and as procyanidins. Type B procyanidins were major components and varied from dimers to pentadecamer. Two anthocyanins, cyanidin-3-O-arabinoside and cyanidin-3-O-galactoside, along with the N-phenylpropernoyl-l-amino acids, N-caffeoyl-l-aspartate, N-coumaroyl-l-aspartate, N-coumaroyl-3-hydroxytyrosine (clovamide), and N-coumaroyltyrosine (deoxyclovamide), and the purine alkaloids theobromine and caffeine, were present in stage 3 and 4 seeds. Other purine alkaloids, such as theophylline and additional methylxanthines, did not occur in detectable quantities. Flavan-3-ols were the only components to accumulate in detectable quantities in young seeds at developmental stages 1 and 2.
authors.affiliation: Joseph Black Building, School of Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Gema
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pereira-Caro
authors.forename: Gina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Borges
authors.forename: Chifumi
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nagai
authors.forename: Mel C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Jackson
authors.forename: Takao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yokota
authors.forename: Alan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Crozier
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ashihara
mesh_terms: D000470:Alkaloids / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000737:chemistry; D002099:Cacao / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000737:chemistry; D006254:Hawaii; D010636:Phenols / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D011687:Purines / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000737:chemistry; D012639:Seeds / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000470:Alkaloids; D005419:Flavonoids; D010636:Phenols; D011687:Purines