Detection of non-coloured anthocyanin–flavanol derivatives in Rioja aged red wines by liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry

• Published in: Talanta (Oxford) Vol. 121; pp. 81 - 88
• Main Authors: Sánchez-Ilárduya, María Belén, Sánchez-Fernández, Cristina, Garmón-Lobato, Sergio, Abad-García, Beatriz, Berrueta, Luis Angel, Gallo, Blanca, Vicente, Francisca
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01-04-2014
• Subjects: Ageing; Anthocyanins; Anthocyanins - chemistry; Chromatography, Liquid - methods; Flavanols; Flavene; Flavonols - chemistry; Mass Spectrometry - methods; Wine; Wine colour; Anthocyanins; Flavene; Flavanols; Ageing; MS; Wine colour
• ISSN: 0039-9140; 1873-3573
• DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2013.12.066

Anthocyanins, responsible for wine colour, are involved in many reactions during wine ageing. Anthocyanin–flavanol associations give rise to derivatives in flavylium form that provide blue hues, but also derivatives that do not directly influence wine colour. These colourless derivatives remain mostly unknown but their roles during wine ageing are important for controlling wine quality.
Colourless anthocyanin–flavanol derivatives formed during wine ageing have been studied in three aged red wines from Rioja using a combined method with Column Chromatography (CC) and High Performance Liquid Chromatography with Diode Array and Mass Spectrometric detections (HPLC-DADMS).
Twenty-six compounds have been detected: 17 dimers with the anthocyanin in flavene form with possible anthocyanin–flavanol (type 1) and flavanol–anthocyanin (type 2) structures, and 9 with an A-type bicyclic anthocyanin–flavanol structure (type 3). Although some of malvidin derivatives have been previously reported, this is the first time that these derivatives (including different isomers) have also been detected for delphinidin, petunidin and peonidin.
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•A new insight in colourless anthocyanin derivatives, improving the knowledge in anthocyanin evolution during wine ageing.•26 derivatives, belonging to three groups according to spectral features, have been identified.•Different derivatives for delphinidin, petunidin, peonidin and malvidin, were detected for the first time to our knowledge.•Compounds both in flavene and as A-type bicyclic derivatives have been detected.