Procyanidins are the most abundant polyphenols in dessert apples at maturity

Direct thiolysis of crude plant materials and HPLC analysis of the reaction media were used to quantify and to characterise procyanidins (condensed tanins) and other main polyphenols of three dessert apple varieties. Results showed evidence of the large predominance of the procyanidin class in the polyphenolic composition of dessert apple skin and flesh. The structure of procyanidins was wholly homogeneous with (-)-epicatechin representing more than 95% of the constitutive flavan-3-ol units and with average degrees of polymerisation in the 5–7 range.