Tannins are a class of polyphenols that precipitate proteins and quench oxidizing species. Condensed tannins, which are multiple flavonoids linked by carbon-carbon bonds, are present in soil but their metabolic fate and effect on the microbiome is unknown. In this study we analyzed possible trends in condensed tannins biodegradation when microbes are present in the soil. We used three methods to analyze our soil samples: thiolysis, acid butanol assay, and HPLC. The thiolysis showed no change in tannin chain lengths during the incubation, while the acid butanol assay showed that there was no relationship between the day of collection and the amount of tannin present in each sample. DMSO and sonication improved the recovery of tannin in the soil samples for analysis. The HPLC with electrochemical detection revealed new peaks in live soil samples at day 10. The study found that thiolysis and acid butanol were not successful methods in determining trends in condensed tannin biodegradation in soil. HPLC with electrochemical detection has been the most successful out of three methods used in the analysis of biodegradation of tannins in soil while acid butanol and thiolysis methods could be enhanced by using DMSO and sonication.
Author: Ifeyinwa Okafor
Faculty Advisor: Ann Hagerman, Chemistry and Biochemistry
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