Screening non-colored phenolics in red wines using liquid chromatography/ultraviolet and mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry libraries

Article abstract of DOI:10.3390/12030679

Liquid chromatography/ultraviolet (LC/UV) and mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry (MS/MS) libraries containing 39 phenolic compounds were established by coupling a LC and an ion trap MS with an electrospray ionization (ESI) source, operated in negative io

Full text of DOI:10.3390/12030679

Molecules, 2007, 12, 679-693
molecules
ISSN 1420-3049
http://www.mdpi.org
Full Paper
Screening Non-colored Phenolics in Red Wines using Liquid
Chromatography/Ultraviolet and Mass Spectrometry/Mass
Spectrometry Libraries
Jianping Sun 1, 2, Feng Liang 3, Yan Bin 2, Ping Li 3 and Changqing Duan 1,*
1
Center for Viticulture and Enology, College of Food Science & Nutritional Engineering, China
Agriculture University, 10083 Beijing, People’s Republic of China
2
Cofco Wines & Spirits, Co. Ltd, 100005 Beijing, People’s Republic of China
3
Agilent Technologies Co. Ltd, 100022 Beijing, People’s Republic of China
* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-mail: chqduan@yahoo.com.cn; Tel:
(+86)-10-62737136; Fax: (+86)-10-62737136;
Received: 13 December 2006; in revised form: 24 March 2007 / Accepted: 29 March 2007/ Published:
30 March 2007
Abstract: Liquid chromatography/ultraviolet (LC/UV) and mass spectrometry/mass
spectrometry (MS/MS) libraries containing 39 phenolic compounds were established by
coupling a LC and an ion trap MS with an electrospray ionization (ESI) source, operated in
negative ion mode. As a result, the deprotonated [M-H]- molecule was observed for all the
analyzed compounds. Using MS/MS hydroxybenzoic acid and hydroxycinnamic acids
showed a loss of CO2 and production of a [M-H-44] - fragment and as expected, the UV
spectra of these two compounds were affected by their chemical structures. For flavonol
and flavonol glycosides, the spectra of their glycosides and aglycones produced
deprotonated [M-H]- and [A-H]- species, respectively, and their UV spectra each presented
two major absorption peaks. The UV spectra and MS/MS data of flavan-3-ols and stilbenes
were also investigated. Using the optimized LC/MS/MS analytical conditions, the phenolic
extracts from six representative wine samples were analyzed and 31 phenolic compounds
were detected, 26 of which were identified by searching the LC/UV and MS/MS libraries.
Finally, the presence of phenolic compounds was confirmed in different wine samples
using the LC/UV and LC/MS/MS libraries.

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Molecules, 2007, 12
Keywords: Non-colored phenolic compounds, Red wines, LC-UV, LC-MS/MS
Introduction
Phenolics, important secondary metabolites in the grape berry, play a critical role in determining
the organoleptic characteristics of berries and wines. In particular they contribute to wine
characteristics such as color, flavor, astringency and bitterness [1-3]. Moreover, phenolic compounds
are associated with cardiovascular benefits, such as reducing platelet aggregation and modulating
eicosanoid synthesis. Recently, the antioxidant activity of phenolic compounds toward human
low-density lipoprotein (LDL) has been evaluated in vitro [4-11]. As a result, the study of phenolic
compounds, such as the amounts and species found in red wine, where they are more abundant than in
white wine, has attracted considerable attention among the food safety community.
The phenolic compounds in red wines mainly comprise \simple phenolic acids (e.g.
hydroxybenzoic acid and hydroxycinnamic acid) and complicated polyphenols (e.g. flavonols,
anthocyanin and tannins) which are mainly derived from grape skins and seeds during the vinification
process [12], or from yeast metabolites and aging in oak barrels.
Reverse–phase, high-performance, liquid-chromatography (RP-HPLC), with diode array detection
(DAD) detector, is widely applied for the analysis of these compounds in wine due to its high
sensitivity and easy operation [13-17]. However, the UV spectra of some phenolic compounds are very
similar, making their identification ambiguous. Analytical technology for phenolic structures in grapes
and wines was thus developed using LC-MS and multiple MS/MS (MSn) stages with an ESI source
operating in the negative mode [18-22]. With LC-MS, differences of phenolic compositions and
structures could be identified, and some information such as origin and age of wine, grape varieties
and winemaking technique could be characterized, so nowadays LC-MS is considered the best
analytical technique for studying phenolic compounds in grape and wines [23, 24].
However, it takes a lot of time and standards to analyze large-scale wine samples. For this reason,
it would be of interest to establish LC/UV and MS/MS libraries for the identification of real wine
samples in order to reduce the amount of work required, which has been not reported so far. The
purpose of this research was to compile LC/UV and MS/MS libraries using 39 phenolic standards and
to apply them to investigate the phenols present in different wine samples. The work should provide a
substantial basis for quality control and fingerprint identification of different wines.
Results and Discussion
Study of the UV spectra and (-)ESI-MS/MS of phenolic standards
The HPLC gradient elution profile was optimized using different ratios of water and methanol
containing different concentrations of acetic acid (0.2-1.0%). The results showed that all of the phenols
were well separated by linear gradient elution with a mobile phase consisting of water and methanol
with 1% acetic acid. To determine the most effective ionization mode for the phenolic standards (250
mg L-1), atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) or a ESI source in positive- or negative-ion

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Molecules, 2007, 12
modes were investigated The results indicated that the ESI source at negative-ion mode with a MS/MS
activation energy of 1.0V was best for the analysis of low-molecular phenolic compounds, which
coincided with the previous reports [23, 25]. Based on these optimized conditions, 39 phenolic
standards were then analyzed by LC/UV-ESI-MS/MS. The results are listed in Table 1. At the same
time, we compiled LC/UV and MS/MS libraries for identifying phenolic compounds in wine samples.
Figure 1. Structures and sources of
Hydroxybenzoic acids
Gallic acid
R1
H
R2
OH OH OH Sigma1
OH OH Sigma
OH OCH3 Aldrich2
OCH3 OH OCH3 Sigma
R3
R4 Source
purchased phenolic standards
Protocatechuic acid
Vanillic acid
H
H
H
H
COOH
R1
Syringic acid
H
p-Hydroxybenzoic acid
Salicylic acid
H
H
H
H
OH
H
H
H
Aldrich
Sigma
OH
OH
R4
R2
R3
Gentisic acid
H
OH Aldrich
Hydroxybenzoic acid
Hydroxycinnamic acids
Caffeic acid
R1
H
R2 R3
Source
Sigma
Sigma
OH OH
OH
p-Coumaric acid
Sinapic acid
H
H
OCH3 OH OCH3
Sigma
Fluka3
Aldrich
COOH
CH CH
Ferulic acid
OCH3 OH
H
H
trans-Cinnamic acid
H
H
R3
R1
R2
Flavan-3-ols
R1
R2 R3
Source
Sigma
Sigma
Hydroxycinnamic acid
(+)-Catechin
OH
OH
OH
H
OH
OH
(-)-Epicatechin
(-)-Gallocatechin gallate
H
OH Gallate Sigma
OH Gallate Sigma
OH Gallate Sigma
O
R1
C
(-)-Epigallocatechin gallate OH
OH
(-)-Epicatechin gallate
(-)-Gallocatechin
H
HO
O
R2
OH
OH
OH
OH
OH OH
OH OH
Sigma
Sigma
OH
R3
(-)-Epigallocatechin
OH
Gallate
Flavan-3-ols
Flavonols
Quercetin
Myricetin
Kaempferol
Morin
R1
R2
R3
R4
Source
Sigma
Sigma
Sigma
Sigma
Sigma
H
OH
H
OH
OH
OH
OH
ORut4
ORham5 Sigma
OGal6
Sigma
R2
H
OH
H
OH
H
R1
OH
R3
H
OH
O
OH
H
H
H
Rutin
OH
OH
OH
H
R4
OH
O
Quercitrin
Hyperoside
H
H
H
H
Flavonol and glycoside

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Molecules, 2007, 12
R1
R2
Flavanones
Hesperetin
R1
OH
OH
H
R2
R3
Source
Sigma
Sigma
Sigma
Sigma
R3
O
OCH3
OCH3
OH
OH
ONeo7
Neohesperidin
(±)-Naringenin
Naringin
OH
O
OH
Flavone
H
OH
ONeo
OH
Stilbenes
R
Source
Sigma
HO
HO
trans-Resveratrol
cis-Resveratrol8
trans-Piceid
cis-Piceid10
OH
R
cis
OH
OGlu9
OH
Sigma
R
OGlu
trans
Resveratrol and glycoside
2
3
1 Sigma Chemical Co., (St. Louis, MI, USA); Aldrich (Milwaukee, WI, USA); Fluka (Buch,
Switzerland); 4 Rut = Rutinose; 5 Rham = Rhamnose; 6 Gal = galactose; 7 Neo = Neohesperidose;
9cis-Resveratrol was obtained by exposing the trans form to a 366 nm UV lamp for 2 h ; 8 Glu =
glucose; 10cis-piceid was obtained by exposing the trans form to a 366 nm UV lamp for 1.5 h.
1. Hydroxybenzoic acids
In the negative ion mode hydroxybenzoic acids produced a deprotonated [M-H]- molecule and a
[M-H-44]- fragment ion via loss of a CO2 group from the carboxylic acid moiety (Figure 2a). Aside
from the m/z 135 peak ([M-H-44]-), the fragmentation of syringic acid produced an anion radical with
m/z 182 ([M-H-15]-) by losing a CH3 group from the m/z 197 precursor ion. The UV spectra of the
hydroxybenzoic acids were quite relevant to their chemical structures. Single absorption peaks
appeared in the UV spectra of compounds such as gallic acid, p-hydroxybenzoic acid and syringic acid,
all of which have symmetrical chemical structures, whereas in the case of phenols such as
protocatechuic acid, vanillic acid and gentisic acid, which have non-symmetrical chemical structures,
two absorption peaks were noted in the corresponding UV spectra. The position and number of
hydroxyl groups on the aromatic rings also had a significant effect on wavelength shift (Figure 1 and
Table 1).
2. Hydroxycinnamic acids
Like the hydroxybenzoic acids, hydroxycinnamic acids such as caffeic acid (Figure 2b), also
produced a deprotonated [M-H]- molecule and lost a CO2 group (from the carboxylic acid function) in
the negative ion mode (Table 1). Ferulic acid and sinapic acid showed the loss of the CH3 group,
providing a [M-H-15]- anion radical at m/z 178 and m/z 208, respectively. Chlorogenic acid showed the
[M-H]- deprotonated molecule (m/z 353) and the ion corresponding to the deprotonated quinic acid
(m/z 191), which was consistent with a previous report [19]. In the UV spectra sinapic acid and
coumaric acid, with symmetrical chemical structures, and trans-cinnamic acid, without a hydroxyl
group, showed a single absorption peak, while caffeic, chlorogenic and ferulic acid, with

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Molecules, 2007, 12
non-symmetrical chemical structures, had a major absorption peak and a shoulder absorption under
our conditions, which was inconsistent with the previous report [20, 26]. The reason for this
discrepancy may be the substitution of hydroxyl or methoxyl groups of the cinnamic-type which
caused hypsochromic shifts (Figure1 and Table 1).
Table 1. LC-UV-MS/MS spectral information of 39 phenolic standards
Compound names
Hydroxybenzoic acid
Gallic acid
RT (min)
MW
[M-H]- (Frag. MS2m/z)
UV band (nm)
5.9
170
154
168
198
138
138
154
169 (125)
153 (109)
167 (123)
197 (182, 153)
137 (93)
272
Protocatechuic acid
Vanillic acid
10.1
23.2
28.0
16.0
41.7
16.7
260 (max), 294
260 (max), 294
276
Syringic acid
p-Hydroxybenzoic acid
Salicylic acid
256
137 (93)
276
Gentisic acid
153 (109)
326 (max), 300
Hydroxycinnamic acid
Caffeic acid
23.9
34.5
38.5
38.7
50.6
21.4
180
164
224
194
148
354
179 (135)
324 (max), 296
310
p-Coumaric acid
Sinapic acid
163 (119)
223 (208, 179, 149)
193 (134, 149, 179)
147
324
Ferulic acid
324 (max), 296
278
trans-Cinnamic acid
Chlorogenic acid
Flavan-3-ols
353 (190)
326 (max), 300
(+)-Catechin
16.9
28.5
32.73
26.97
36.32
7.74
8.5
290
290
458
458
442
306
306
578
578
289 (245, 205, 179)
289 (245, 205, 179)
457 (169, 331, 305)
457 (169, 331, 305)
441 (289, 169)
280
280
276
276
278
274
274
280
280
(-)-Epicatechin
(-)-Gallocatechin gallate
(-)-Epigallocatechin gallate
(-)-Epicatechin gallate
(-)-Gallocatechin
(-)-Epigallocatechin
Procyanidin B1
Procyanidin B2
Flavonol and flavonol glycosides
Quercetin
305 (125, 179)
305 (125, 179)
12.1
20.8
577 (407, 425, 451, 289)
577 (407, 425 ,451, 289)
50.57
46.5
302
318
286
302
610
448
464
304
301 (151, 179)
256 (max), 372
256 (max), 374
266 (max), 366
256 (max), 354
256 (max), 356
256 (max), 352
256 (max), 356
288
Myricetin
317 (151, 179)
Kamepferol
53.0
285 (257, 151, 169)
301 (125, 151)
Morin
48.40
45.0
Rutin
609 (301, 179, 151)
447 (301, 179, 151)
463 (301, 179, 151)
302 (285, 125, 178)
Quercitrin
46.9
Hyperoside
44.3
(±)-Taxifolin
35.76
Flavanone and flavanone glycosides
Hesperetin
51.9
302.3
610.6
272.3
580
301 (258, 143)
609 (301)
288
288
290
284
348
Neohesperidin
(±)-Naringenin
Naringin
46.0
51.19
44.09
52.0
271 (151, 177)
579 (459, 271, 235)
285 (217, 241, 175)
Leutolin
286

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Molecules, 2007, 12
Table 1. Cont.
Resveratrols
trans-Resveratrol
cis-Resveratrol
trans-Piceid
44.4
48.7
37.9
45.7
228
228
390
390
227 (185, 159)
277 (185, 159)
389 (227)
306
284
306
284
cis-Piceid
389 (227)
3. Flavan-3-ols.
(+)-Catechin ([M-H]- m/z 289) yielded fragment ions at m/z 245, 179, 205. The isomer
(-)-epicatechin gave the same fragment ions, as the stereoisomers could not be distinguished by mass
spectrometry. The [M-H-44]- fragment ion at m/z 245 in (+)-catechin or (-)-epicatechin (Figure 2c) was
produced by the loss of a (CH)2OH group as described by Perez-Magari [23]; the mechanism of
production of fragment ions at m/z 179 and 205 has been explained by Stöggl [22] and Bravo [27].
(-)-Gallocatechin and its isomer (-)-epigallocatechin ([M-H]- m/z 305) yielded the fragment ions at m/z
125 and 179, which was consistent with the previous report [28]. (-)-Epicatechin-3-O-gallate ([M-H]-
m/z 441) gave fragment ions at m/z 289 which resulted from the cleavage of the ester bond and the loss
of a gallic acid moiety, and those at m/z 169 from the cleavage of the ester bond and the loss of
(-)-epictechin units.
Similarly, (-)-gallocatechin-3-O-gallate and its isomer (-)-epigallocatechin-3-O-gallate ([M-H]- m/z
457) produced, by the cleavage of the ester bond, a fragment ion at m/z 169 that corresponds to gallic
acid and the fragment ion at m/z 305 corresponding to the (-)-gallocatechin or (-)-epigallocatechin
units. In addition, a fragment ion at m/z 331 was observed. The (-)ESI-MS/MS spectra of dimeric
procyanidin B1 and procyanidin B2 ([M-H]-, m/z 577), gave [M-H-152]- fragment ions at m/z 425 from
Retro-Diels-Alder (RDA) rearrangement of the heterocyclic ring, at m/z 407 ([M-H-170]-) from
RDA-F of the heterocyclic ring and loss of H2O, at m/z 451 ([M-H-126]-) from cleavages between
C4-C5 and O-C2 of one pyran ring and at m/z 289 ([M-H-289]-) from cleavage of the interflavanic bond
(Figure 2d) by a mechanism already described by Sun and Miller [29], respectively.
The UV absorption spectra of all flavan-3-ols showed a single peak with a wavelength of 280 nm.
When one hydroxyl group at the 5’-position was substituted and a hydroxyl group at the 3-position of
the flavan-3-ol skeleton (Figure 1) was esterified by gallate, the absorption peak shifts to a shorter
wavelength (by 4-6 nm). Polymerization between flavan-3-ols could not cause any change in the UV
absorption spectra (Figure 1 and Table 1).
4. Flavonols and flavonol glycosides
As shown in Figures 2e,f the aglycones quercetin and myricetin both produced fragment ions at m/z
151 and 179, which result from a cleavage of the heterocyclic C-ring by RDA [27], while kaempferol
and morin only had a fragment ion at m/z 151, also from a cleavage of the heterocyclic C-ring by RDA,
but the fragmentation mechanism remains unclear at present. For flavonol-O-glycosides such as rutin,
hyperoside and quercitrin, their spectra showed the deprotonated [M-H]- molecule of the glycoside
and the [A-H]- ion corresponding to the deprotonated aglycone. The latter ion is formed by losing the
rutinose, galactose and rhamnose moiety from the corresponding glycosides (Table 1).

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Molecules, 2007, 12
Figure 2. LC-UV and MS/MS spectra of eight representative phenolic standards

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Molecules, 2007, 12
Due to the conjugate structure formed between the double bond at the 2,3-position and the carbonyl
group at the 4-position of flavonols and their glycosides structures, their UV spectra presented two
major absorption peaks with a band I and a band II (Figures 2e,f). The glycosylated quercetin
showed a shorter 24-52 nm shift of band I (rutin, quercitrin, hyperoside ) and a 32 nm hypsochromic
shift of band II (hyperoside) as compared with its aglycone. Moreover, the position and number of
hydroxyl groups in the B-rings leads to the same shift in kaempferol and morin.
5. Stilbenes
Resveratrol produced m/z 185 and 156 fragment ions (Figure 2g). Like the flavonol glycosides, the
spectra of trans/cis-resveratrol glycoside (trans/cis-piceid, m/z 389) gave a fragment ion at m/z 227
from loss of the glucose moiety. A typical UV spectrum of trans-resveratrol and trans-piceid presented
a maximum at 306 nm, with shorter shifts than their isomers. Glycosylation had no effect on the UV
spectra (Table 1)
6. Flavanones
Different fragment ions were observed for hesperetin, with m/z 258 and 143 (Figure 2g), and
naringenin, with m/z 177 and 151, despite the similar chemical structures of both compounds.
Neohesperidin and naringin showed the [M-H-308]- fragment ion due to the loss of the neohesperidose
moiety. The UV spectrum of flavone exhibits a single absorption peak between 280 nm and 290 nm,
but with a peak trend to about 320 nm resulting from the carbonyl group at the 4-position (Figures 2e, f
and g).
Identification of phenolic compounds in wine samples using the LC/UV and MS/MS libraries
Based on the optimum LC-UV-ESI-MS/MS conditions established for the phenolic compounds
using standard solutions we next analyzed wine extracts. The LC-UV chromatogram profiles at 280
nm of the ethyl acetate extracts of samples A-F are shown in Figure 3 (peaks cited correspond to those
listed in Table 2). Using our standard library information (e.g. peak retention times, UV spectrum,
ESI-MS/MS data), we identified five hydroxybenzoic acids (peaks 1, 2, 5, 8, 10), two
hydroxycinnamic acids (peaks 9, 13), four flavan-3-ols (peaks 4, 6, 7, 11), five flavanols (peaks 21, 23,
25, 29, 31), four resveratrols (peaks 16, 22, 24, 27), and one flavanone (peak 30) in six different red
wines (Table 2). Additionally, peaks 3, 12, 17, 18, 20 were tentatively identified by comparison of the
LC/UV and MS/MS libraries created (Table 1).
Peak 3 presented the cinnamic-type UV spectrum, [M-H]- molecular ion at m/z 311 and fragment
ions at m/z 179 ([M-H-132]- ) and 135 (M-H-132-44)-) which coincided with the mass of caffeic acid,
and was thus identified as caftaric acid, previously described in wine [21, 31, 32]. The ESI-MS/MS
spectra of caftaric acid resulted from loss of a tartaric acid unit after cleavage of the ester bond and
subsequent loss of the CO2 group. Similarly, peak 12 with [M-H]- at m/z 197 and fragment ions at m/z
169 ([M-H-28]-) and at m/z 125 ([M-H-28-44]-) was considered to be ethyl gallate, which loses an ethyl
unit and a gallic acid unit and then a CO2 group. Peak 17 showed the same UV spectrum and

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Molecules, 2007, 12
ESI-MS/MS spectrometric data as procyanidins B1 and B2, but a difference in retention time (RT =
38.2) was observed, so, peak 17 was assumed to be from a procyanidin dimer. Peaks 18 and 20
presented a similar flavanol UV spectrum (two absorption bands), [M-H]- molecular ion at m/z 479 and
[M-H-162]- (characteristic of glucoside/galactose derivatives) and m/z 317 fragment ions
(characteristic of a myricetin derivative), [M-H]- molecular ion at m/z 477 and [M-H-176]- fragment
ion at m/z 301 (characteristic of glucuronide derivatives) and m/z 301 (characteristic of a quercetin
derivitive), and thus could be tentatively assigned to myricetin-3-O-glucoside and
quercetin-3-O-glucuronide. The other five unknown compounds (peaks 14, 15, 19, 26, 28) still
couldn’t be identified under the present conditions and need to be further identified by other tools.
Application of phenolic compound fingerprinting in red wine by LC/UV and MS/MS libraries
After creating the LC/UV and LC/MS/MS libraries we established that they could be used to
confirm the presence of phenolic compounds in different wine samples. By searching the libraries,
most of the 31 phenolic compounds were identified (Table 2), and a phenolic compound fingerprint
was observed in six different red wines simultaneously (Figure 3).
Figure 3. LC-UV chromatogram at 280 nm from sample extracts, (a) sample A; (b)
sample B; (c) sample C; (d) sample D; (e) sample E; (f) sample F. The LC/UV and
MS/MS spectral information are listed at Table 2, and for the LC-UV conditions see the
Experimental.

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Molecules, 2007, 12
First of all, significant differences were found in differently aged wines such as samples A, C and E
(the same variety and vineyard, but of different ages). As shown in Figure 3, peak 30 (hesperetin) was
a characteristic peak in sample A, but was not detected in sample C. In comparison with samples A and
C, two older wines, sample E, a young wine, had as higher intensity peaks 9 (caffeic acid), 13
(p-coumaric acid) and 15 (unknown) and as lower intensity peaks 1 (gallic acid) and 30 (quercetin). In
addition, a few of the compounds, including peak 2 (procatechuic acid), 19 (unknown), and 21
(hyperoside)) were not identified in the young wine (Figures 3a,c,e). So, it can be seen that the amount
of phenolic compounds in wines was more abundant, and the proportion each of them was more
balanced as the wines aged. Secondly, some fingerprint information was also observed from the
different varieties of wines such as samples B (Cabernet Gernischet), C (Cabernet Sauvignon) and D
(Merlot). It was found that the total amounts of compounds detected in sample D was markedly lower
than in samples B and C; and the level of compounds detected was most abundant in sample C,
followed by samples D and B, which were mainly deficient in compounds such as procyanidin dimer
and resveratrols, respectively (Figures 3b,c,d). Finally, the fermentation container also had important
effects on phenolic compound levels. Peak 14 (unknown) and 15 (unknown) increased remarkably in
sample F (fermented in oak barrels) in comparison with sample E (fermented in stainless steels
containers), while peak 29 (quercetin) gave the opposite result. Peaks 9 (caffeic acid) and peak 13
(p-coumaric acid) showed the opposite composite proportion in both samples. Furthermore, peaks 7
(procyanidin B2), 20 (myricetin-3-glucoside), 22 (trans-piecid), 24 (cis-piecid), and 27
(trans-resveratrol) were not detected in sample F (Figures 3e,f). In general, the presence of phenolic
compounds in wines were influenced by some additional factors such as geographical origin of the
wine, grape varieties, years of aging and winemaking technique.

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Molecules, 2007, 12
Table 2. Phenolic compounds identified in the present work in wines extracts by LC-UV-MS/MS
Peak No.
1
RT (min)
5.8
[M-H]- (Frag. MS2m/z)
169 (125)
UV band (nm)
Compounds Name
Gallic acid
272
2
11.0
11.3
12.1
16.0
16.9
20.8
23.2
23.9
28.0
28.5
31.9
34.5
36.6
37.1
37.45
38.2
39.8
41.8
43.4
44.0
44.4
45.0
45.5
46.5
47.9
48.7
50.0
50.8
51.7
52.9
153 (109)
260 (max), 294
Protocatechuic acid
Caftaric acid
Procyanidin B1
p-Hydroxybenzoic acid
(+)-Catechin
Procyanidin B2
Vanillic acid
3
311 (178, 148)
326
4
577 (407, 425, 451, 289)
137 (93)
280
5
256
6
289 (245, 179, 125)
577 (407,425, 451, 289)
167 (123)
280
7
280
8
260 (max), 294
9
179 (135)
324 (max), 296
Caffeic acid
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
197 (182, 153, 135)
289 (245, 179, 125)
197 (169, 124)
276
Syringic acid
(-)-Epicatechin
Ethyl gallate
p-Coumaric acid
Unknown
280
270
163 (119)
310
189 (171, 129)
296
204 (186, 158, 116)
389 (227)
280
Unknown
306
trans-Piceid
577 (407, 425, 451, 289)
479 (317, 179, 151)
579 (399, 373, 205)
477 (301, 178, 151)
463 (301, 178, 151)
227 (184, 159)
280
Procyanidin dimer
Myricetin-3-glucoside
Unknown
266 (max), 354
278
354 (max),260
Quercetin-3-glucuronide
Hyperoside
354
306
trans-Resveratrol
Rutin
609 (301)
256 (max), 324
284
389 (227)
cis-Piceid
317 (179, 151)
256 (max), 376
358
Myricetin
507 (344, 229, 301)
227 (184, 159)
Unknown
284
cis-Resveratrol
Unknown
207 (179, 161, 135)
301 (179, 151, 107)
301 (286, 258, 242)
285 (151, 169, 241)
326
256 (max), 372
288
Quercetin
Hesperetin
266 (max), 366
Kamepferol
Conclusions
Due to its sensitivity and ease of coupling to a DAD detector, RP-HPLC remains the analytical
method of choice for the analysis of the phenolic compounds in wine extracts. LC-MS with the use
MS/MS provides structural information on novel compounds, which couldn’t be identified simply by
investigation of their UV spectra. In this research, liquid chromatography coupled with ion spray mass
spectrometry in the negative mode was used for the identification of 39 phenolic standards including
hydroxybenzoic and hydroxycinnamic acids, flavan-3-ols, flavanols and resveratrols, as well as for
creating LC/UV and LC/MS/MS libraries for the identification of real samples under the same
conditions. By searching the LC/UV and LC/MS/MS libraries, the identification of phenolic
compounds in different wines was accomplished. Therefore these libraries not only minimize the
amount of work which would otherwise be required for manual interpretation, but also provide the

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Molecules, 2007, 12
basis for identifying phenolic compounds in samples of differing origins, varieties, cultivation and
winemaking techniques. Further work would involve the addition of new phenolic standards to the
LC/UV and LC/MS/MS libraries in order to confirm the presence of the other compounds in the wines.
For those compounds that could not be distinguished in the mass spectra, some isolation of the
compounds would be required to further identify by other tools such as nuclear magnetic resonance
(NMR) for the further work.
Experimental Section
Reagents and standards
Methanol and glacial acetic acid (HPLC grade purity) were purchased from Fisher (Fairlawn, NJ,
USA). Deionized water (<18MΩ resistance) was obtained from a Milli-Q Element water purification
system (Millipore, Bedford, MA). The procyanidin dimer B1 and B2 standards were purchased from
Extrasynthese (Genay, France) while chlorogenic acid and (±)-taxifolin were from Sigma Chemical Co.
(St.Louis, MI, USA). The structures and purchase sources for the remaining standards are listed in
Figure 1.
Wine samples
The six red wine samples (A – F), including four commercial and two experimental wines, were:
Sample A: Huaxia Great Wall Wine I, a 13 yr-old Cabernet Sauvignon from Changli, Hebei; Sample B :
Changyu Wine, a 10 yr-old Cabernet Gernischet from Yantai, Shandong; Sample C: Huaxia Great Wall
Wine II, a 10 yr-old Cabernet Sauvignon from Changli, Hebei; Sample D: Qilian Wine, a 10 yr-old
Merlot from Gaotai, Gansu; Sample E: experimental wine fermented using stainless steel, a 1 yr-old
Cabernet Sauvignon from Changli, Hebei; Sample F: experimental wine fermented in oak, a 1 yr-old
Cabernet Sauvignon from Changli, Hebei.
Extraction of wine phenols
Extractions of wine polyphenols were carried out according to the method reported by
Garcia-Viguera and Bridle [13] with the following modifications: deionized water (100 mL) was added
to wine (100 mL) and the mixture was extracted with ethyl acetate (80 mL). The ester phase was
concentrated on a rotary vaporator under 30°C and the residue dissolved in 1:1 (v/v) methanol/water
(5.0 mL).
HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS/MS analyses
Polyphenol analysis by LC-ESI-MS/MS were carried out using an Agilent 1100 series LC and
LC/MSD Trap VL mass spectrometer (Agilent Technologies, Palo Alto, CA, USA) equipped with
electrospray ionization (ESI) interface. The LC system includes a G1379A on-line degasser, a G1311A
quaternary pump, a 1313A autosampler, a G1316A thermostatic column control, and a G1315A DAD,

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Molecules, 2007, 12
all of which were controlled by the Agilent ChemStation version 5.2 software. The HPLC separation
was performed on a reversed-phase Zorbax SB-C18 column (250 x 4.6 mm i.d. 5 µm particle size,
Agilent Technologies, USA) at 25 °C. The mobile phase consisted of 1 % acetic acid in water (solvent
A) and 1 % acetic acid in methanol (solvent B) applying the following gradient: 0-25 min: 10-22 % B,
25-45 min: 22-50 % B, 45-55 min: 50-95 % B, 55-60 min: 95 % B isocratic, 60-63 min: 95-10 % B,
63-66 min: 10 % B isocratic. The flow rate was 1.0 mL min-1. Injection volume was 10 µL with the
UV detector set to an absorbance wavelength of 280 nm. The ESI parameters were as follows
(optimized depending on compounds): nebulizer, 30 psi; dry gas (N2) flow, 10 L min-1; and dry gas
temp., 325°C; the ion trap mass spectrometer was operated in negative ion mode with a scanning range
from m/z 200 to m/z 800. In addition, the activation energy for the MS/MS experiment was set to 1.0 V.
Acknowledgements
This research was supported by the China National Natural Science Foundation (grant No.
39900101 to C.-Q.D)
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Sample Availability: Samples are available from authors.
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