Understanding the Regioselectivity in the Oxidative Condensation of Catechins Using Pyrogallol-type Model Compounds.

Catechins are found in many foods, including tea. These compounds are bioactive. Previous studies have shown that catechins form dimers on oxidation, and there seem to be distinct regioselective effects. However, the dimerization mechanism and regioselectivity are not well understood. Therefore, we investigated the oxidation of four pyrogallol-type model compounds of epigallocatechin (EGC) having various substituents with 1 equiv of copper chloride and 30% dioxane in water. Compounds having 2C-2C or 2C-4C bonds in the B-ring were obtained in different product ratios. Comparison of the oxidation rates of each compound revealed that the model compounds having an oxygen atom corresponding to the 1-position of the C-ring of EGC underwent slow oxidation. In addition, using density functional theory calculations, we found that the highest occupied molecular orbital energies of these compounds were higher than those of the others. Further, the 2C-2C-bonded oxidation product having an A-ring and an oxygen atom at the C-ring 1-position was confirmed to have the highest thermodynamic stability. From these results, it is suggested that the regioselective condensation reaction of the catechin B-ring is related to interactions between the A-rings, as indicated by earlier studies, and the presence of oxygen at the 1-position of the C-ring in EGC.