What are tannins and how do they relate to flavan-3-ols?
What is the definition of OPC (oligomeric proanthocyanidin)?
What is the patent (US PATENT #4,698,360) about?
Where do the grape seeds and grape skins come from?
What varieties of seeds do you use?
Is the grape seed extract made from seeds and skins (pomace) or seeds only?
How are the seeds stored prior to extraction process?
What solvents do you use in your extraction?
Do you use sulfur dioxide during the processing of your grape skin extracts?
What is ORAC and how is it done?
Have you analyzed your product for ORAC?
What are antioxidants?
Antioxidants are compounds that have the capacity to neutralize reactive oxygen species.
Oxygen free radicals generated by oxidative and other biochemical pathways are the main
cause for a number of degenerative diseases. Antioxidants act as radical scavengers, and convert
the radicals to less reactive species. The imblanace due to the presence of excess free radicals
and lower antioxidants causes oxidative stress and many chronic health problems such as
cancer, atherosclerosis, myocardial infraction, senile cataracts, and rheumatoid arthritis.
What are Polyphenols?
Polyphenols are the most abundant group of plant phenolic compounds, known to provide
much of the flavor, color, and taste to fruits, vegetables, seeds, and other parts of
the plants. As dietary sources of biologically active compounds they prove to be valuable
for health. They have been linked to reduce the risk of cariovascular disease, cancer, and
other degenerative diseases. Commercially available grape seed and skin extracts are a rich
source of these polyphenols. The various health benefits of polyphenols have been associated
with their antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and anti-allergenic properties.
What are tannins and how do they relate to flavan-3-ols?
Tannins are plant polyphenolics that
possess the property of precipitating proteins from aqueous media.
Tannins can be separated the tannins into two classes:
hydrolyzable tannins and nonhydrolyzable or condensed tannins.
According to Haslam, a world-renowned phenolic chemist, the term
proanthocyanidins means the condensed or nonhyrolyzable tannins.
Chemically speaking, the terms condensed tannin and proanthocyanidin
can be used interchangeably and both are comprised of two or more
flavan-3-ol units, but proanthocyanidin seems to be preferred in the
nutraceutical industry. Species in the Vitis genus (i.e. grapes)
contain non-hydrolyzable tannin; or complex polyphenols which can not be degraded
under hydrolytic conditions - either acid, alkaline or hydrolytic enzymes
- into simpler fragments, mainly sugars and some phenolic acids.
References:
Billot, J., Fleuriet, A., Macheix, J-J. 1990. Fruit Phenolics. CRC Press, Inc. Boca Raton, FL.
Haslam, E. 1979. Vegetable tannins. In "Recent Advances in Phytochemistry", Vol. 12, Swain, T., Harborne, J.B., and Van Sumere, C.F. Eds. Plenum Press, New York, 475.
What is the definition of OPC (oligomeric proanthocyanidin)?
Proanthocyanidins come in a multitude of chemical structures
and sizes consisting of base units called "monomers".
Proanthocyanidins containing two or more monomers chemically
linked together are called oligomeric proanthocyanidins or
"OPCs". OPCs containing two monomers are called dimers, three
monomers are called trimers, four are called tetramers, five
pentamers, etc. After considerable discussion, it was the
consensus of the Grape Seed Method Evaluation Committee
(through the National Nutritional Foods Association) to define OPCs as all proanthocyanidins
containing two or more monomers, including polymers and
condensed tannins.
What is the patent (US PATENT #4,698,360) about?
This patent, titled "Plant extract with a proanthocyanidins content
as therapeutic agent having radical scavenger effect and use thereof,"
was issued October 6, 1987, to Jack Masquelier. The patent covers the
claim that a plant extract containing proanthocyanidin is a free
radical scavenger in humans.
Where do the grape seeds and grape skins come from?
Polyphenolics uses only non-fermented seeds and skins from California wine
grapes and juice grapes collected in the
Central Valley of California. Constellation Brands, Polyphenolics parent company, is
the largest wine company in the world so we have a large supply of raw material to choose from.
What varieties of seeds do you use?
Polyphenolics uses a special blend of seeds from red and white
Vitis vinifera grapes.
Is the grape seed extract made from seeds and skins (pomace)
or seeds only?
MegaNatural® Gold grape seed extract is produced from grape seeds
only. The seeds are separated from the skins and stems prior
to extraction. Other Polyphenolics products are made from both
seeds and skins, which is also known as pomace.
How are the seeds stored prior to extraction?
After the seeds are separated from the skins and stems, they are
dried to less than 8% moisture and stored in a cool, dry location
until processed.
What solvents do you use in your extraction process?
Water and beverage grade ethanol are the only extraction solvents used.
Do you use sulfur dioxide during the processing of
your grape skin extracts?
Unlike enocianina grape skin extracts from Europe, Polyphenolics does not add sulfur
dioxide during the extraction of our grape skins. Therefore,
Polyphenolics' GSKE and GSKE-40 skin extracts contain less than 100 ppm
and 75 ppm of sulfur dioxide, respectively, while competitors' extracts may contain up
to 5500 ppm of sulfur dioxide.
What is ORAC and how is it done?
ORAC stands for Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity.
In this assay the ability of a substance to subdue oxygen free
radicals in vitro or "total antioxidant capacity" is
determined. The method is spectrofluorometric, performed by an
outside lab (automated), and it is based on the time-dependent
decrease in the fluorescence of the beta-PE indicator protein with
the following parameters:
- Free-radical generating system: AAPH
- Sensitive target of the free radical attack: B- or R-PE
- Quantification: area under the curve (combines both inhibition percentage and the length of inhibition time of free radical action by an antioxidant into a single quantity)
Trolox (water-soluble analog of vitamin E) is used as a standard. This method is more common in the U.S. than in Europe and more customers are requesting this data.
We had samples analyzed for ORAC values by Brunswick Laboratories (Wareham, MA). They have a fairly detailed web site that explains ORAC as well.
Have you analyzed your product for ORAC?
Yes, periodically we send our extracts to be analyzed at
Brunswick Labs (Wareham, MA). See the results page.
Created in conjunction Checkerboard Internet Services, Inc.