Proanthocyanidins Cinnamon

Proanthocyanidins (PAs), also known as condensed tannins, are oligomeric and polymeric flavan-3-ols. Procyanidins are the main PAs in foods however, prodelphinidins and propelargonidins have also been identified (Gu and others 2004). The main food sources of total PAs are cinnamon, 8084 mg/100 g FW, and sorghum, 3937 mg/100 g FW. Other important sources of PAs are beans, red wine, nuts, and chocolate, their content ranging between 180 and 300 mg/100 g FW. In fruits, berries and plums are the major sources, with 213.6 and 199.9 mg/100 g FW, respectively. Apples and grapes are intermediate sources of PAs (60 to 90 mg/100 g FW), and the content of PAs in other fruits is less than 40 mg/100 g FW. In the majority of vegetables PAs are not detected, but they can be found in small concentrations in Indian squash (14.8 mg/ 100 g FW) (Gu and others, 2004 US Department of Agriculture, 2004). 

Liquid Chromatography-Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometric Characteristics ([M - H] and Product Ions) of Selected Proanthocyanidin Tetramers and Pentamers from Pinto Beans, Plums, and Cinnamon, Respectively... 

It has been showed that chocolate is one of the most polyphenol-rich foods. According to Lee et al. [9], cocoa contains a higher content of flavonoids per serving than teas or red wine. Moreover cocoa powder is one of the richest dietary sources of flavanols (on a weight basis) identified so far, exceeded only by a few food ingredients such as buckwheat huUs, sorghum, cinnamon, and some superfruit [10]. Cocoa is also one of the richest dietary sources of polyphenols fisted in the Phenol-Explorer database [11] and one of the richest sources of procyanidins in the USDA Database for the Proanthocyanidin Content of Selected Foods [12] (Fig. 74.1). 

Peng, X., Cheng, K.W., Ma, J., Chen, B., Ho, C.T., Lo, C., and Wang, M. 2008. Cinnamon bark proanthocyanidins as reactive carbonyl scavengers to prevent the formation of advanced gly-cation endproducts. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 56(6), 1907-11. 

Peng, X., Ma, J., Chao, J., Sun, Z., Chang, R.C.C., Tse, I., and Wang, M. 2010. Beneficial effects of cinnamon proanthocyanidins on the formation of specific advanced glycation endproducts and methylglyoxal-induced impairment on glucose consumption. Journal cf Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 5S(11), 6692-6696. 

Nonaka G, Morimoto S, Nishioka 1 1983 Ihnnins and related compounds. Part 13. Isolation and structures of trimeric, tetrameric and pentameric proanthocyanidins from cinnamon. J Chem Soc Perkin Trans I 2139-2145... 

Many food additives contain proanthocyanidins. Schultz and Herrmann (221) surveyed the common spices and found proanthocyanidins in Laurus nobilis, Cin-namomum zeylanicum, Illidum verum, Myristica fragrans, Pimenta dioica, and Juniperus communis, but they were absent from all the others tested. Subsequently, the proanthocyanidins of cinnamon Cinnamomum zeylanicum) and cassia (Cinnamomum cassia) were studied in detail by Nishioka and co-workers (148, 158). Both contained epicatechin procyanidin homo-oligomers but cinnamon additionally contained high concentrations of doubly-linked (A-type) procyanidins. 

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