title: The proposed biosynthesis of procyanidins by the comparative chemical analysis of five Camellia species using LC-MS.
abstract: The genus Camellia (C.) contains many species, including C. sinensis, C. assamica, and C. taliensis, C. gymnogyna and C. tachangensis. The polyphenols of C. sinensis and C. assamica are flavan-3-ols monomers and their dimers and trimmers. However, the biosynthesis of procyanidins in Camellia genus remains unclear. In the present study, a comparative chemical analysis of flavan-3-ols, flavan-3-ols glycoside and procyanidins was conducted by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and liquid chromatography diode array detection coupled with triple-quadrupole mass-spectrometry (LC-DAD-QQQ-MS). The results showed that C. tachangensis had a significant higher contents of (-)-epicatechin (EC) and (-)-epigallocatechin (EGC) compared with C. sinensis (p < 0.001). By contrast, higher levels of galloylated catechins were detected in C. sinensis. LC-DAD-MS/MS indicated that the main secondary metabolites of C. tachangensis were non-galloylated catechins, procyanidin dimers and trimers. Furthermore, (-)-epicatechin glucose (EC-glucose) and (-)-epigallocatechin glucose (EGC-glucose) were also abundant in C. tachangensis. A correlation analysis of EC-glucose and procyanidins dimers was conducted in five Camellia species. The levels of EC-glucose were closely related to the procyanidin dimers content. Thus, it was suggested that EC-glucose might be an important substrate for the biosynthesis of procyanidins.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China.
authors.forename: Liang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China.|School of Life Science, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China.
authors.forename: Yuling
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tai
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China.
authors.forename: Yijun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China.
authors.forename: Qilu
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China.
authors.forename: Yunqiu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China.
authors.forename: Shihua
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China.
authors.forename: Hua
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China.
authors.forename: Zhengzhu
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China.
authors.forename: Daxiang
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China.
authors.forename: Xiaochun
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wan
mesh_terms: D044946:Biflavonoids / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000737:chemistry; D053898:Biosynthetic Pathways / Q000235:genetics; D028244:Camellia / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics; D002392:Catechin / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000737:chemistry; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D005947:Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D044945:Proanthocyanidins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000737:chemistry; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013045:Species Specificity; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry
chemical_list: D044946:Biflavonoids; D044945:Proanthocyanidins; C017674:procyanidin; D002392:Catechin; D005947:Glucose