Effects of Plant-Derived Polyphenols on the Antioxidant Activity and Aroma of Sulfur-Dioxide-Free Red Wine

Abstract

Significant efforts have been made in recent years to produce healthier wines, with the primary goal of reducing the use of sulfur dioxide (SO2), which poses health risks. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of three plant-derived polyphenols (dihydromyricetin, resveratrol, and catechins) as alternatives to SO2 in wine. After a three-month aging process, the wines were evaluated using analytical techniques such as high-performance liquid chromatography, colorimetry, gas chromatography–olfactometry–mass spectrometry, as well as electronic nose and electronic tongue analyses, with the purpose to assess parameters including antioxidant activity, color, contents of volatile aroma compounds, and sensory characteristics. The results demonstrated various degrees of improvement in the antioxidant activity, aromatic intensity, and sensory characteristics of wines using polyphenols. Notably, dihydromyricetin (200 mg/L) exhibited the strongest antioxidant activity, with increases of 18.84%, 23.28%, and 20.87% in 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl, 2,2’azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid), and ferric-ion-reducing antioxidant power assays, respectively. Resveratrol (200 mg/L) made the most significant contribution to volatile aroma compounds, with an 8.89% increase in the total content of alcohol esters. In E-nose analysis, catechins (200 mg/L) showed the highest response to aromatic compounds and the lowest response to volatile sulfur compounds, while also exhibiting the best sensory characteristics. Therefore, the three plant-derived polyphenols investigated here exhibited the potential to enhance wine quality as alternatives to SO2. However, it is important to consider the specific impact of different polyphenols on wine; hence, suitable antioxidants should be selected in wine production according to specific requirements.

Sulfur dioxide-free wine with polyphenols promotes lipid metabolism via the Nrf2 pathway and gut microbiota modulation

“…The entire winemaking process was performed in the winery of the Engineering Technology Research Center of Special Grain for Wine Making where alcoholic and malolactic fermentations were carried out at a controlled temperature (25 ℃). The previously described conditions are used in the wine brewing process ( Ma et al, 2023 ). Treatments with different concentrations of polyphenol supplementation are described below: S0: the addition of 70 mg/L SO 2 ; D0: the addition of 200 mg/L dihydromyricetin; R0: the addition of 200 mg/L resveratrol; T0: the addition of 200 mg/L tea polyphenols.…”

“…Polyphenols have emerged as potential substitutes for SO 2 , supported by multiple academic validations indicating their positive impact on wine quality ( Esparza et al, 2020 , Gancel et al, 2021 , Wang et al, 2019 ). In our previous study, the addition of 200 mg/L of resveratrol not only preserved the wine’s inherent characteristics but also increased its volatile aromatic compounds ( Ma et al, 2023 ). However, existing research predominantly focuses on assessing sulfur dioxide-free wine’s quality, overlooking its potential health attributes.…”

Supercritical CO2 Processing of White Grape Must as a Strategy to Reduce the Addition of SO2

“…In fact, SO 2 acts by limiting the endogenous grape enzymes' activity (polyphenol oxidase, tyrosinase, and peroxidase) and those that come from fungal infections (laccase), as well as reducing the effects of dissolved oxygen [5]. Despite its advantages, SO 2 possess a risk to the health of sensitive individuals, such as headaches, allergies, and diarrhea and even its bioaccumulation could eventually lead to lung cancer [6]. In technological terms, it may be responsible for the development of sensory defects as well as for neutralizing the aroma of wines and juices [3].…”

Recent Advances and Future Perspectives in the E-Nose Technologies Addressed to the Wine Industry

“…Later, electronic noses with MOS technology or QMB/MOS were also used to identify different grape varieties used to make wines [118,119] or evenly used to discriminate the wines themselves using sensors based on porphyrins [113,121]. Other applications of great interest are related to the opportunity to detect wine defects with E-noses based on MOS, such as the presence or absence of reducing chemical conditions [92] related to the acetic bacteria presence and development [97] or any other process deviations which may occur [91,92]. Wine aging is another stage along the wine production chain at which E-Nose application can be exploited, whether in sparkling wines [88], liqueur wines [89], or any others [88].…”