Precipitation of low molecular weight phenolic compounds of grape seeds cv. Carménère (Vitis vinifera L.) by whole saliva

Low molecular weight phenolic compounds (LMWP) contribute to astringency and bitterness, two important sensory attributes. This work aimed to study the interactions between human saliva and a group of LMWP from a grape seed extract, namely, monomers, dimers and trimers of flavan-3-ol plus gallic acid. LMWP in the sediment that was produced by mixing whole saliva with the grape seed extract were identified by high-performance liquid chromatography analysis (HPLC–DAD). Two assays to produce LMWP-salivary protein sediments were carried out. An indirect assay consisted of in vitro mixing aliquots of saliva with a constant volume of the grape seed extract followed by centrifugation and sediment analysis. In a direct assay, aliquots of the grape seed extract were mixed in-mouth with saliva, returned to a vessel and centrifuged. In each assay, polyphenol composition of the sediments varied according to the tannin/saliva vol/vol ratio although in both cases monomeric LMWP were the most abundant polyphenol components of the sediments. The study also suggested the need for a strict control of the in vitro experimental conditions used to mimic the in vivo conditions in which tannin–protein interactions do occur and produce astringency perception.