OLIGOMERIC PROANTHOCYANIDINS (OPC)

Oligomeric Proanthocyanidins (OPC)

Oligomeric Proanthocyanidins (OPC)

Introduction

Oligomeric proanthocyanidins (OPCs) may be a mouthful to pronounce, but once in your system, they get right to work doing wonderful things. They help fight off heart disease, slow down aging, and boost eye health. In my book, they have earned rights to the elite status of universal antioxidant. (Bombardelli, 2005)

Many of you have heard of polyphenols, flavonoids, flavones, Pycnogenol (pinebark extract), grapeseed extract, catechins, tannins, quercetin, and flavonol. You've also probably heard about the benefits of red wine, green tea, and grape juice. All have something to do with OPCs.

OPCs are bioflavonoids discovered almost 50 years ago and available from approximately 6,000 flavonoids in plants from around the world. Although not produced in the body, they are present in most fruits and vegetables in small amounts and are abundant in grape seeds and pine bark.

Not only are OPCs readily available in food, they're also extremely bioavailable. That means they can be quickly absorbed into the bloodstream—usually within 15 to 30 minutes of ingestion—and can easily cross the blood-brain barrier to protect the brain from free radical stress. Therefore, their benefits are felt almost immediately throughout the body!

Looking at some of the benefits linked to OPCs is like looking at a shopping list for a long and healthy life.

Controversies on meanings of OPC, polyphenol & tannin

There is not a generally acceptable definition of “oligomer” based on the number of monomers in chemistry & biology. Some leading researchers and manufacturers in France suggested a clear definition that OPCs contain dimmers to pentamers. OPCs do not include monomers and polymeric proanthocyanidins (PPCs or high molecular weight tannins). We wish to explain here why this clear definition of OPCs based on molecular sizes is justified in this particular field of nutraceutical chemistry. (da Silva, 2009)

There are basically two proanthocyanidin monomers - catechin and epicatechin. Each monomer binds at either the alpha or beta position on their molecular structures to form dimers, trimers, etc. Catechin and epicatechin can further form esters from gallic acid and yield catechin or epicatechin gallate. OPCs are a complex mixture, very different from a single nutrient compound such as vitamin C (ascorbic acid) or vitamin E (d-alpha tocopherol). Typical natural OPC extracts such as grape seed and pine bark extracts contains significant amount of monomers up to 20-30%, which also have health benefits at lower potency. OPC manufacturers don't make effort to separate the monomers from OPC. The best OPC natural extract ingredients may contain truly OPCs up to 70-80%. A label of “95% OPC” or “OPC 95%” means the label maker either does not know what “OPC” really means, or wants to play tricks to sell.

Discussion

Oligomeric proanthocyanidin (OPC) is a class of flavanoids that has high antioxidant properties. The discovery was made in 1948 by Jacques Masquelier who isolated that substance - OPC from peanut skin, and subsequently developed techniques for its extraction from pine bark and grape seed, both were waste products of the lumber and winemaking industry ...