Characterisation of highly polymerised prodelphinidins from skin and flesh of four cashew apple (Anacardium occidentale L.) genotypes

Tannins were extracted by acetone/water 60:40 from skin and flesh of four cashew apple genotypes from Brazil and Bénin (West Africa), and separated from monomeric phenols. Tannins were submitted to acid-catalysed degradation in the presence of phloroglucinol and the products were analysed by HPLC–DAD/ESI–MS. Both skin and flesh tannins contained high percentages of (-)-epigallocatechin and (-)-epigallocatechin-O-gallate, followed by minor quantities of (-)-epicatechin and (-)-epicatechin-3-O-gallate; 100% of the compounds were the 2,3-cis configuration. Skin tannins were half as galloylated (∼20%) than flesh tannins (∼40%). Their weight-average molecular weight (Mw) was high.