Cacao polyphenolic substances. 5. The structure of cacao ‘leucocyanidin 1’

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Abstract
The chief products of acid hydrolysis of cacao leucocyanidin 1 are (-) epicatechin and cyanidin. When the non-phenolic ocat-O-methyl ether of leucocyanidin 1 is used as starting material , 3[image]:4[image]:5:7-tetra-O-methylepicatechin and 3[image]:4[image]:5: 7-tetra-O-methyleyanidin are obtained. These facts, taken with the molecular weights and analytical figures obtained for the leucocyanidin and its derivatives, indicate that the leucocyanidin 1 molecule is built up to 2 C15 flavan units. Consideration of the general chemical and physical properties of the compound leads to 2 possible structures in which the 2 C15 residues are joined by acetal-types links between their alcoholic hydroxyl groups. No decision is made between these structures.