Aroma characteristics and volatile compounds of distilled Crystal grape spirits of different alcohol concentrations: wine sprits in the Shangri-La region of China

Chemical and nutritional characterization of Ambelania duckei (Apocynaceae) an unexplored fruit from the Amazon region

Ambelania duckei Markgr is a species of the Apocynaceae family, native to the Amazon region that is unexplored from a nutritional point of view and studied in relation to its chemical constituents. This work presents an unprecedented study of the proximate composition, lipid profile, a chromatographic analysis, and the antioxidant activity of extracts obtained from the pulp, peel and seeds of the fruit. The results showed that potassium, calcium, and magnesium stood out as the most abundant key minerals in the fruit peel and pulp, with an emphasis on the potassium present in the fruit pulp at 1750.0 mg/100 g. The peel had the highest content of total phenolics (374.86 mg/g), flavonoids (15.54 mg/g), tannins (27.45 mg/g) and O-diphenols (379.36 mg/g; 645.71 mg/g). The antioxidant activity (AA) was highest in the peel compared to the pulp in the DPPH, ABTS, and ORAC tests showing: IC₅₀ of 29.82; 43.67; and 407.13 µg/mL, respectively but a lower activity for the Fe²⁺ chelator. The analysis of the lipid fractions from the peel, pulp, and seeds of the A. duckei fruit resulted in 14 types of fatty acids. The major fatty acids found in the three parts of the fruit were oleic acid (peel, 22.52 %), palmitic acid (pulp, 17.34 %), and linoleic acid (seeds, 47.99 %). The lipid profile and nutritional aspects had a PUFA/SFA ratio (0.4-1.8) in the different parts of the A. duckei fruit; the atherogenic and thrombogenic indexes were higher in the peel (1.23) and pulp (0.62), respectively. The ratio between the hypocholesterolemic and hypercholesterolemic fatty acids (0.5 - 3.8) calculated for the fruit are within the desirable range for a nutritious food. The chromatographic analysis of the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from the peel and pulp of the fruit, identified 74 VOCs, of which 60.9 % are related to terpenes, and emit notes such as cucumber, green, fatty, floral, and mint, due to the presence of substances with OAVs > 10, especially α-ionone, 1,8-cineole, 2,4-decadienal, and dodecanal. The analysis of the MS and MS/MS spectra of the chromatograms obtained by LC- QTOF-HRMS led to the identification of 26 compounds in the peel, seeds and pulp of A. duckei, such as fatty acids, phenolic acid, flavonoids, proanthocyanidins, alkaloids, and terpenoids. The results show that the pulp of A. duckei has potential as nourishing food and the nutritional and chemical aspects of the peel can be applied to commercial applications.

Effect of light-selective sunshade net on the quality and aromatic characteristics of Cabernet Sauvignon grapes and wine: Exploratory experiment on strong solar irradiance in northwestern China

The greenhouse effect is a global problem. In view of the intense sunlight radiation in Ningxia (an ideal wine-producing region in northwestern China), the effect of light-selective sunshade nets of different colors (black, red and white) on the quality and aromatic characteristics of grapes and wine was studied. With the treatments of different nets, the solar radiation intensity was significantly decreased. The sugar contents in both grapes and wines decreased, while the acid contents increased. The contents of total phenols, tannins and flavanols in grapes were increased, while the total flavonoids and anthocyanins were decreased. The contents of most phenolics in wine were increased. The contents of most aromas in grapes and wines under nets were higher than those in the control group. The black group usually possessed the highest variety and content. Red and black nets improved the fruity, floral and sweet aromas of grapes. The white net decreased the green and citrusy aromas.

Characteristic Volatile Organic Compound Analysis of Different Cistanches Based on HS-GC-IMS

Cistanche is a medicinal and food homologous substance with a long history of consumption and medicinal use in China. In order to further understand the volatile organic compound differences between different cistanches, this study selected oil cistanche, blood cistanche and cistanche tubulosa in Xinjiang for HS-GC-IMS volatile organic compounds, and established the characteristic fingerprints of different cistanches for organic content and characteristic organic compound analysis. PCA and cluster analysis were used to study the similarity between different cistanches. After qualitative analysis, a total of 32 volatile organic compounds were identified, covering aldehydes (17), ketones (5), furans (1), alcohols (5), lactones (1) and esters (3), and the volatile organic compounds between samples a, b and c could be significantly distinguished, affecting the flavor of cistanche itself. It provides a basic theoretical basis for the study of cistanche flavor.

The Impact of Type of Brandy on the Volatile Aroma Compounds and Sensory Properties of Grape Brandy in Montenegro

This paper presents the results of a study that examined the impact of grape variety on the volatile aroma compounds and sensory properties of standard and Muscat grape brandy produced in the Podgorica sub-region (Montenegro) in vintages 2011, 2012, and 2013. The brandies were prepared by the distillation of crushed grapes, from the autochthonous varieties of Vranac and Kratošija, and Muscat grapes, in a traditional copper alembic, under the same conditions. The gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric (GC/MS) method of 82 volatile aroma compounds that belong to the group (alcohols, volatile acids, volatile esters, terpenes, volatile aldehydes, acetals, ethers, ketones, and alkanes) and an evaluation of the sensory properties of brandies were carried out to determine the typical characteristics of the examined brandies. Alcohols, fatty acid esters, and terpene compound contents were significantly more abundant in all Muscat grape brandies compared to the brandies from the Vranac and Kratošija wine varieties (Standard brandy). Research results revealed that variety had a significant impact on the volatile aroma compound and sensory properties of brandy. The varietal effect was also confirmed, by multivariate analysis, based on the aroma volatile composition, which showed a grouping by type of grape brandy (varietal origin). Sensory analyses showed that all the brandies belonged to the category of high-quality brandies.

Identification, quantitation and sensorial contribution of lactones in brandies between China and France

Lactones are important flavor compounds in lots of foodstuffs. They also play an important role in brandy, but have not been studied at large. In this study, solid-phase extraction (SPE) and stir bar sorptive extraction (SBSE) combined with comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography and time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC × GC-TOFMS) were applied to identify and quantify lactones in brandies between China and France. Totally 17 lactones were identified, four of which were detected only in SBSE. Among them, γ-valerolactone, γ-heptalactone, δ-octalactone, γ-undecanolactone and δ-dodecalactone were detected in brandy for the first time. The results of partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) revealed that lactones distinguished regional characteristics among different brandies. The omission test showed that four lactones (OAV > 1) had direct impact on the aroma of brandy, and other seven lactones at sub-threshold (0.1 < OAV < 1) provided peach and apricot aroma characteristics through synergistic effects.

Creation and Acceptability of a Fragrance with a Characteristic Tawny Port Wine-Like Aroma

Port wine, the ultimate expression of the Demarcated Douro Region’s (DDR’s) history, cultural heritage experience, and art, was born on the slopes of the Douro river valley. One of the categories of port wine that is much appreciated by consumers is tawny port wine. This category of wine is aged in oak barrels and is characterized by oxidative aromas. Thus, the objective of the present work was to develop a tawny port wine-like fragrance, the first according to the literature. First, a group of 50 consumers in an informal environment and using two samples of tawny port wine (13 and over 40 years of aging in wood, respectively) was asked about the pleasantness of the aromas and the possible use of a tawny port wine-like fragrance. More than 80% of the group stated that they would use the fragrance as an air freshener (scent marketing in restaurants) or even in personal-use products. Then, a sensory panel of 12 participants (3 men and 9 women) was trained, and using tawny port wines of various brands and ages, the panel selected six descriptors to aromatically describe this type of wine. For the descriptors, seven aromatic chemical compounds were appointed and fragrances were developed with contributions from the panel. After several sessions with the sensory panel, three fragrances were selected, created with only three of the aromatic compounds initially used: benzaldehyde, sotolon, and vanillin. Afterward, the levels of consumer acceptability (150 individuals) for the three developed fragrances were studied and the optimization of their sensory characteristics was evaluated using a “just about right” (JAR) scale. It was found that male individuals assigned higher ratings and preferred fragrance 5.1, which was a statistically significant result (p < 0.001). Regarding age, Tukey’s test showed significant differences in responses to fragrance 5.3 between young adults and middle-aged adults (p = 0.018). Young adults gave higher scores for this fragrance. Additionally, consumers considered that the intensity of the tawny port wine aroma was ideal in the three fragrances, however, the fragrance color was not very intense. The use of the three compounds (benzaldehyde, sotolon, and vanillin) seems to be enough to obtain a tawny port wine-like fragrance.

New perspectives on the biosynthesis, transportation, astringency perception and detection methods of grape proanthocyanidins

Proanthocyanidins (PAs) are important secondary metabolites crucial for the quality of grape berry and wine. Despite important advances in our understanding of the structural and regulatory genes involved in the PAs biosynthesis pathway, our knowledge about the details of biosynthetic and regulatory networks, especially the mechanism of polymerization and transportation remains limited. We provided an overview of the latest discoveries related to the mechanisms of grape PAs structure, astringency properties, detection methods, biosynthesis and transportation. We also summarized the environmental influencing factors of PAs synthesis in grape. Future trends were discussed.

Oenological Characteristics of Fermented Apple Musts and Volatile Profile of Brandies Obtained from Different Apple Cultivars

Volatile profile of spirits is the most important factor, because it can contribute to pleasant flavor. The aim of the study was to determine the impact of dessert apple cultivar used for fermentation on the concentration of volatile compounds in apple spirits. SPME-GC-MS (solid-phase microextraction- gas chromatography- mass spectrometry) method enables the detection of 69 substances and GC-FID (gas chromatography - flame ionization detector) 31 compounds. Characteristic volatiles for brandies obtained from Topaz were limonene, myrcene, methyl valerate and 1,1-diethoxy-propane, from Rubin—β-citronellol and isopropyl acetate, Elise—limonene, myrcene benzyl acetate and isopropyl acetate, Szampion—β-citronellol, Idared—1,1-diethoxy-propane and Jonagored—ethyl trans-4-decanoate. Of the ten analyzed apple spirits, those obtained from Topaz, Rubin and Elise cultivars demonstrated the most diverse profile of volatile compounds. Moreover, their oenological parameters that are the most important in the production of alcoholic beverages were the most favorable. On the other hand, the content of sugars was relatively low in Elise must, while it was highest in Topaz must, which later on translated into differences in alcohol content. Brandies obtained from Gloster contained the smallest concentrations of esters and terpenes. Results of the sensory analysis showed that highest rated brandies were obtained from Topaz, Rubin, Elise and Florina.