| Description |
Epicatechin, also known as (+)-cyanidanol-3 or 2,3-cis-epicatechin, is a member of the class of compounds known as catechins. Catechins are compounds containing a catechin moiety, which is a 3,4-dihydro-2-chromene-3,5.7-tiol. Thus, epicatechin is considered to be a flavonoid lipid molecule. Epicatechin is practically insoluble (in water) and a very weakly acidic compound (based on its pKa). Epicatechin can be found in cashew nut, which makes epicatechin a potential biomarker for the consumption of this food product. Epicatechin can be found primarily in blood, feces, and urine, as well as throughout most human tissues. Epicatechin is a flavan-3-ol, a type of natural phenol and antioxidant. It is a plant secondary metabolite. It belongs to the group of flavan-3-ols (or simply flavanols), part of the chemical family of flavonoids . |
