Proanthocyanidins come in a multitude of chemical structures and sizes consisting of base units called “monomers”. Proanthocyanidins containing two or more monomers chemically linked together are called oligomeric proanthocyanidins or “OPCs”. OPCs containing two monomers are called dimers, three monomers are called trimers, four are called tetramers, five pentamers, etc. After considerable discussion, it was the consensus of the Grape Seed Method Evaluation Committee (through the National Nutritional Foods Association) to define OPCs as all proanthocyanidins containing two or more monomers, including polymers and condensed tannins.
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