CHARACTERIZATION AND TRYPSIN-INHIBITOR ACTIVITY OF PROANTHOCYANIDINS FROM VICIA-FABA

In a chemical investigation epicatechin, epigallocatechin, the procyan idins B-1, B-3 and B-4, and the prodelphinidins gallocatechin-(4alpha, 8)-catechin, gallocatechin-(4alpha,8)-epicatechin and gallocatechin-(4 alpha,8)-epigallocatechin have been isolated from the testa of faba be ans and characterized by means of spectroscopic methods. Proanthocyani din samples were compared for their trypsin inhibitory activity. The r esults suggest that the degree of polymerization, the number of phenol ic hydroxyl groups and the 2,3-stereochemistry of the constituent unit s affect remarkably the strength of the inhibition.