Application of taste dilution analyses on freshly prepared black tea infusions revealed neither the high molecular weight thearubigen-like polyphenols nor the catechins and theaflavins, but a series of 14 flavon-3-ol glycosides as the main contributors to the astringent taste perceived upon black tea consumption. Among these glycosides, the apigenin-8-C-[alpha-l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1--{\textgreater}2)-O-beta-d-glucopyranoside] was identified for the first time in tea infusions. Depending on the structure, the flavon-3-ol glycosides were found to induce a velvety and mouth-coating sensation at very low threshold concentrations, which were far below those of catechins or theaflavins; for example, the threshold of 0.001 micromol/L found for quercetin-3-O-[alpha-l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1--{\textgreater}6)-O-beta-d-glucopyranoside] is 190000, or 16000 times below the threshold determined for epigallocatechin gallate or theaflavin, respectively. Moreover, structure/activity considerations revealed that, besides the type of flavon-3-ol aglycon, the type and the sequence of the individual monosaccharides in the glycosidic chain are key drivers for astringency perception of flavon-3-ol glycosides.     «

Application of taste dilution analyses on freshly prepared black tea infusions revealed neither the high molecular weight thearubigen-like polyphenols nor the catechins and theaflavins, but a series of 14 flavon-3-ol glycosides as the main contributors to the astringent taste perceived upon black tea consumption. Among these glycosides, the apigenin-8-C-[alpha-l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1--{\textgreater}2)-O-beta-d-glucopyranoside] was identified for the first time in tea infusions. Depending on the str...     »