Determination of proanthocyanidins and catechins in beer and barley by high-performance liquid chromatography with dual-electrode electrochemical detection.

A method was developed to determine the flavanols prodelphinidin B3, procyanidin B3, (+)-catechin, and (-)-epicatechin by high-performance liquid chromatography, using dual-channel electrochemical detection. This method was especially suited to the direct analysis of beer samples and to analysis of acetone extracts of barley samples, and was capable of determining proanthocyanidins and catechins at levels of 0.1-5.0 mg l-1. The use of dual-channel electrochemical detection also enabled unambiguous peak identification by measurement of collection efficiencies. This method offered improved sensitivity and selectivity compared with ultraviolet detection, and sample preparation procedures were greatly simplified. The method was applied to the comparison of stabilized and unstabilized lagers, and to the analysis of different barley varieties grown in Ireland.

Chromatographic separation and automated analysis of flavanols.

Flavanols from barley or hops were separated chromatographically and assayed automatically by reaction with the chromogen, 4-dimethylaminocinnamaldehyde. For separating the flavanols on Sephadex G-25, gradient elution with water-methanol mixtures was necessary. The chromogen was specific for flavanols and well suited to AutoAnalyzer methods. The method appears generally applicable in flavanol analysis of plant materials.

Effects of temperature variation on the fatty acid composition of a psychrophilic Candida species.

During the batch cultivation of a psychrophilic Candida species, the proportions of oleic and linolenic acid esters in the cells underwent a cyclic variation regardless of the incubation temperature.

Effects of temperature variation on the fatty acid composition of Candida utilis.

The fatty acid compositions of various cultures of the yeast Candida utilis NCYC 321 were analyzed by gas-liquid chromatography of the methyl esters obtained from the lipids in chloroform-methanol extracts of the cells. Over a wide range of growth conditions C. utilis contained mainly 16:0, 16:1, 18:1, 18:2, and 18:3 fatty acids in variable proportions. The most variable aspect of the fatty-acid composition of C. utilis was in the relative proportions of 18:1, 18:2, and 18:3 acids. During batch growth at 30 C, the relative proportions of 18:3 decreased, whereas 18:1 increased as the cultures aged. Batch cultures grown at low temperatures maintained higher proportions of 18:3 acids than cultures grown at 30 C. When stationary cultures were replenished with fresh medium under aerobic conditions, there was an abrupt increase in the proportion of 18:3 with a concomitant decrease in 18:1 acids in the cells. The fatty acid composition of cells grown in a chemostat at 30 C did not vary much in response to changes in either the growth rate or the growth-limiting substrate. Chemostat-grown cells contained highest proportions of 18:3 acid when grown under conditions of glucose-limitation at low temperatures.

Effect of growth rate and substrate limitation on the composition and structure of the cell wall of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

1. A study was made of the composition and structure of walls isolated from yeast grown in continuous culture at different rates, under three conditions of glucose limitation in which the concentrations of glucose and ammonium sulphate in the medium and the oxygen-transfer rate in the culture were varied, and one condition of NH(4) (+) limitation. 2. The contents of total glucan and total mannan in the walls were relatively little affected by the growth rate under any of the four sets of conditions. The phosphorus and protein contents of walls from yeast grown under each of the four conditions increased as the growth rate was decreased. Walls from yeast grown under NH(4) (+) limitation contained only half as much protein as walls from cells grown under glucose limitation. The proportion of lipid was greatest in walls from yeast grown under NH(4) (+) limitation. 3. A procedure was devised for fractionating isolated walls, based on the ease with which the glucan and mannan were extracted with water and with hot and cold 6% (w/v) potassium hydroxide solution. The percentage of glucan, mannan, protein and phosphorus in each of the fractions was affected by the rate of growth and by the nature of the substrate limitation. 4. The beta-fructofuranosidase activities of yeast grown under glucose limitation increased as the growth rate was lowered, but decreased at very low growth rates. The effects at low growth rates were probably due to repression of enzyme synthesis by residual glucose in the culture filtrate. The beta-fructofuranosidase activities of yeast grown under NH(4) (+) limitation were much lower than those from yeast grown under any of the conditions of glucose limitation. 5. Yeast cells grown at any of the rates under NH(4) (+) limitation were longer and thinner than those grown at the same rate under any of the conditions of glucose limitation. Mean cell volumes were dependent on growth rate but not on the nature of the substrate limitation. 6. Electron micrographs of thin sections of isolated walls showed that cells grown under NH(4) (+) limitation had a more porous structure than those from cells grown under any of the conditions of glucose limitation.