Influence of wine-making technologies on phenolic content and antioxidant power of Primitivo musts and wines*

Baiano A., Gambacorta G., Terracone C., la Gatta B., Pati S., La Notte E. Dipartimento di Scienze degli Alimenti, Facolt di Agraria, Universit degli Studi di Foggia Via Napoli, 25 71100 Foggia ITALY Tel. +39 881 589117, Fax +39 881 589308, e-mail: a.baiano@unifg.it Keywords: antioxidant power, polyphenols, Primitivo, wine, wine-making technologies
*Project financed by Camera di Commercio di Taranto -Italy

Abstract Wines are un important source of phenolic compounds. In particular, red wines had a polyhenol content (especially tannins but also resveratrol, caffeic acid and catechins) considerably higher than white wines. The purpose of this work was to evaluate the influence of nine wine-making technologies on the phenolic content and the antioxidant activity of Primitivo musts and wines. The addition of tannins allowed to increase the phenolic content. The results of the antioxidant activity determination were different as a function of the analytical method applied. Introduction The importance of phenolic compounds is related to their antioxidant activity. Epidemiological studies have demonstrated that the consumption of phenolrich foods and beverages contributes to the reduction of coronary heart disease mortality (Cul et al., 2002), the inhibition of chronic inflammation and thrombosis (Kinsella et al., 1993) and the prevention of certain types of cancer and that the benefits are greater with a diet rich in a particular class of phenols named flavonoids (Bell et al., 2000). Phenolic compounds contribute to wine colour, taste, structure and make the product suitable for ageing. Red wines are rich in simple and complex phenolic compounds mainly represented by phenolic acids, flavonols, monomeric catechins, and tannins (Katalinic et al., 2004). The grape phenol composition and content are affected by several factors such as variety, ripening time, climate, soil, place of growing. In addition, winemaking technologies together with oenological practices and ageing modify both the phenolic composition and amount and the antioxidant activity. Several analytical methods are available for assessing the antioxidant activity of foods and beverages but, in absence of a standardised method, their results depend on the experimental conditions applied. Primitivo is a typical Italian vine cultivated in Apulia region that, when processed into a varietal wine, allows to obtain a high alcoholic and tannic wine, endowed with a ruby-purple colour and a spicy and red-fruit flavour. Primitivo is genetically similar to the Californian Zinfandel and the Croatian Plavac mali vines. In spite of the importance and spreading of Primitivo wine, literature on its phenolic content and antioxidant properties is rather insufficient. The aim of the present work was to assess the influence of nine wine-making technologies on the phenolic content and the antioxidant activity of Primitivo musts and wines.

Materials and Methods Samples - Grapes of cv. Primitivo were picked at the right ripening time and submitted to nine wine-making technologies (each of them performed two times), including traditional vinification, delestage, "saigne", delayed "punching-down", addition of tannins from grapeseeds, addition of ellagic tannins and tannins from skins and seeds, thermo-vinification, cryomaceration and extended maceration. Samples of musts were withdrawn and analysed at 0 and 6 days of maceration whereas the wines were analysed immediately after pressing and after a 1-year aging. Total phenolic content - The total phenolic content was spectrophotometrically (at 765nm) measured according to the Folin-Ciocalteu method as reported by Singleton and Rossi (1965) and the results were expressed as gallic acid equivalents (mgl -1). The phenolic content was also expressed as Total Phenolic Index at 280nm (TPI, an adimensional number) according to the O.I.V. method n. ENO/SCMAV/04/298 (2006). Determination of the antioxidant activity - In absence of a standard accepted method for wines, the evaluation of the antioxidant activity of musts and wines was made through the following tests: - 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) method, according to O.I.V. method n. ENO/SCMAV/03/269 (2006). Results were expressed as ED50 (Dilution effective to reduce of 50% the initial DPPH concentration) and as % of steady DPPH; - carotene bleaching method, according to the methods of Katalinic et al. (2004) and von Gadow et al. (1997) appropriately modified; - 2,2-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline)-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS+)-metamyoglobin method, according to Miller et al. (1993). Results and Discussion The addition of tannins from seeds and from a mixture of skins and seeds positively affected the phenolic content in the first steps of maceration. The respective wines, considered immediately after production and at 1-year aging (Fig. 1 and 2) showed phenolic contents just higher than those obtained through the other technologies. Concerning, the antioxidant activity (Fig. 3, 4, 5, and 6), the application of different methods gave different results. The most important result was the not always good correlation (correlation coefficient 0.426<R<0.936) between phenolic content and antioxidant activity value since the latter depends on both polyphenol type and amount. Conclusions The choice of the wine-making technology for the production of the Primitivo wine depends on the purpose to be attained. The addition of tannins could be recommended for the production of wines having good colour, taste and structure. The antioxidant power of a wine cant be exactly foreseen on the base of its phenolic content since it doesnt depend only on phenolic content but also on the phenolic specific composition and the specific analytical methid applied. References - Bell J. R. C., Donovan J. L., Wong R., Waterhouse A. L., German J. B., Walzen J. R. 2000. (+)-Catechin in human plasma after ingestion of a single serving of reconstituted red wine. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 71, 103-108.

Cul J., Juhasz B., Tosaki A. 2002. Cardioprotection with grapes. Journal of Cardiovascular Pharmacology, 40, 762-769. Katalinic V., Milos M., Modun D., Music I., Boban M. 2004. Antioxidant effectiveness of selected wines in comparison with (+)-catechin. Food Chemistry, 86, 593-600. Kinsella J. E., Frankel E. N., German J. B., Kanner J. 1993. Possible mechanisms for the protective role of antioxidants in wine and plant foods. Food Technology, 47, 467469. Miller N. J., Rice-Evans C., Davies M. J., Gopinathan V., Miller A. 1993. A novel method for measuring antioxidant capacity and its application to monitoring the antioxidant status in premature neonates. Clinical Sciences, 84, 407-412. O.I.V. 2006. Progetti di Risoluzioni Tappa 5 Metodo n. ENO/SCMAV/03/269, Metodo rapido di valutazione del potere antiradicalico dei vini e delle acqueviti mediante luso di DPPH; Metodo n. ENO/SCMAV/04/298, Stima e quantificazione dei composti fenolici dei vini. Singleton V. L., Rossi J. A. 1965. Colorimetry of total phenolics with phosphomolybdic phosphotungstic acid reagents. American Journal of Enology and Viticulture, 16, 144-158. von Gadow A., Joubert E., Hansmann C. F. 1997. Comparison of the antioxidant activity of aspalathin with that of other plant phenols of Rooibos Tea (Aspalathus linearis), -tocopherol, BHT, and BHA. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 45, 632-638.

Fig. 1 Phenolic content of musts and wines obtained through the different wine-making procedures.

Fig. 2 Total phenolic index of musts and wines obtained through the different wine-making procedures.

Fig. 3 Antioxidant activity (expressed as ED50) of musts and wines obtained through the different wine-making procedures.

Fig. 4 Antioxidant activity (% of steady DPPH) of musts and wines obtained through the different wine-making procedures.

Fig. 5 Antioxidant activity, measured according to the carotene bleaching method, of musts and wines obtained through the different wine-making procedures.

Fig. 6 Antioxidant activity, measured according to the ABTS+-metamyoglobin method, of musts and wines obtained through the different wine-making procedures.