Abstract
A rapid, sensitive, and selective analysis method using ultra high performance liquid chromatography coupled with triple-quadrupole mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QqQ-MS) has been developed for the characterization and quantification of grape skin flavan-3-ols after acid-catalysed depolymerization in the presence of phloroglucinol (phloroglucinolysis). The compound detection being based on specific MS transitions in Multiple Reaction Monitoring (MRM) mode, this fast gradient robust method allows analysis of constitutive units of grape skin proanthocyanidins, including some present in trace amounts, in a single injection, with a throughput of 6 samples per hour. This method was applied to a set of 214 grape skin samples from 107 different red and white grape cultivars grown under two conditions in the vineyard, irrigated or non-irrigated. The results of triplicate analyses confirmed the robustness of the method, which was thus proven to be suitable for high-throughput and large-scale metabolomics studies. Moreover, these preliminary results suggest that analysis of tannin composition is relevant to investigate the genetic bases of grape response to drought.
Highlights
In the last few decades, climate change has become a reality and the effects have started to be perceived
This is illustrated by proximity projections samples samples on on the first two axes of the principal component analysis performed on the proanthocyanidin composition. These results indicate thatthat onlyonly one analytical injection is necessary, which compositiondata data(Figure (Figure4).4). These results indicate one analytical injection is necessary, is savesisa saves great deal of time solvent large-scale studies
The second axis, accounting for 20% of the variability, to all proanthocyanidin units
Summary
In the last few decades, climate change has become a reality and the effects have started to be perceived. Drought, and more drastic and frequent climate events affect nearly every crop and especially grapevines, which are highly sensitive to environmental conditions. It is anticipated that climate change, and especially drought, will increasingly impact grape development, affecting berry size, sugar content, acidity, phenolic composition, and wine quality in areas where grapevines are traditionally cultivated [1,2]. Flavan-3-ols (including catechin monomers and proanthocyanidins, i.e., flavan-3-ol oligomers and polymers) are a complex family of plant flavonoids, naturally abundant in the grape skin. They are Molecules 2016, 21, 1409; doi:10.3390/molecules21101409 www.mdpi.com/journal/molecules
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