Condensed Tannin Composition Analysis in Persimmon (Diospyros kaki Thunb.) Fruit by Acid Catalysis in the Presence of Excess Phloroglucinol

Persimmon (Diospyros kaki Thunb.) accumulates soluble condensed tannin (CT) in fruit which is responsible for its astringency trait. In this study, we analyzed the CT composition in persimmon fruit with phloroglucinol, and identified and characterized novel epigallocatechin-3-O-gallate-phloroglucinol (EGCG-P) adducts as one of the main CT components of persimmon fruit. Analysis with phloroglucinol in persimmon cultivars revealed the different tendencies of the CT composition and component ratio among the four astringency types (PCNA, PVNA, PVA, and PCA), which are categorized by their patterns of astringency loss. The concentration of the main CT component in persimmon fruit, epigallocatechin-3-O-gallate (EGCG), was particularly different among astringency types. Further analysis of the fruit at various maturation stages will help in understanding the different mechanisms of CT accumulation among astringent types. Our results demonstrated that the phloroglucinol methodology is useful for CT composition analysis in persimmon fruit and will contribute to future studies on the astringency trait in this fruit.