Bitterness and astringency of flavan-3-ol monomers, dimers and trimers

Intensity of astringency and bitterness of seven flavonoid compounds was evaluated by a time-intensity (TI) procedure. Eighteen trained judges rated intensity continuously from ingestion, through expectoration at 10 s until extinction of the sensation. The seven stimuli included two flavan-3-ol monomers, (+)-catechin and (−)-epicatechin, three dimers and two trimers synthesised from catechin or epicatechin by condensation with (+)-dihydroquercitin. As the degree of polymerisation increased, maximum bitterness intensity (Imax) and total duration (Ttot) decreased whereas astringency Imax increased. The monomers were significantly higher in bitterness at Imax than the dimers, which were signif…