Search Results (17)

Significant advances in winemaking equipment and processes, as well as a deeper understanding of the role of yeast, have significantly improved wine quality throughout history. This paper examines critical aspects related to the use of commercial wine yeast starter cultures in the fermentation of grape and fruit wines, with a focus on berry wines and blackberry wine, which is the most predominant berry wine in Croatia. While the production of grape wines remains the most significant, fruit wines are gaining importance due to their composition, which contains a variety of bioactive compounds. Although spontaneous fermentation is still preferred by some winemakers, controlled or inoculated fermentation, based on the use of wine yeast starter cultures, is predominantly employed in modern winemaking. The selection of suitable yeast strains for grape wines is easier than for fruit wines, as the broader availability of commercial yeasts for grape wines contrasts with the limited selection offered for fruit wine production due to the smaller fruit wine market. The selection of Saccharomyces and, more recently, non-Saccharomyces yeast strains with desirable characteristics are crucial for the production of high-quality wines. Selection criteria for wine yeasts have evolved to meet modern consumer preferences and focus on technological properties, secondary flavor development and health effects. Full article

The modern analytical technique of Fourier-transform mid-infrared spectroscopy (FT-MIR) has found its place in routine wine quality control. It allows rapid and nondestructive analysis, with easy sample preparation and without the need for chemical pretreatment or expensive reagents. The objective of this research was to apply these advantages to fruit wines in order to create a tool for the authentication of fruit wines produced from different fruit species (chokeberry, blackberry, and raspberry). The aim of this work was to establish a chemometric model from FT-MIR spectra and to find a “fingerprint” of specific fruit wines, enabling the classification of fruit wines by plant species. Physicochemical analysis of 111 Croatian fruit wine samples (38 liqueur fruit wines and 73 fruit wines) revealed content levels of the following parameters: alcoholic strength (5.0–15.2% vol.), total dry extract (60.4–253.3 g/L), total sugars (1.2–229.9 g/L), pH (3.13–4.98), total acidity (4.2–18.3 g/L) and volatile acidity (0.2–1.5 g/L). For statistical data processing, spectral ranges between 926 and 1450 cm⁻¹ and between 1801 and 2951 cm⁻¹ were used. The first principal component (PC1) explained 70.4% of the observed variation, and the second component (PC2) explained 16.7%, clearly separating chokeberry fruit wines from blackberry and raspberry fruit wines. Soft Independent Modeling Class Analogy (SIMCA) was performed following the development of a PCA model showing that the chokeberry and blackberry wine samples form clearly separated clusters. Key discriminators for classifying chokeberry vs. blackberry wines were identified at 1157, 1304, and 1435 cm⁻¹, demonstrating high discrimination power (DP 26, 17, and 14, respectively). FT-MIR spectroscopy, in combination with chemometric methods, has shown promising potential for the authenticity assessment of fruit wines. Full article

Gallic acid (GA) is a well-known herbal bioactive compound found in many herbs and foods like tea, wine, cashew nuts, hazelnuts, walnuts, plums, grapes, mangoes, blackberries, blueberries, and strawberries. GA has been reported for several pharmacological activities, such as antioxidant, inflammatory, antineoplastic, antimicrobial, etc. Apart from its incredible therapeutic benefits, it has been associated with low permeability and bioavailability issues, limiting their efficacy. GA belongs to BCS (Biopharmaceutics classification system) class III (high solubility and low probability). In this context, novel drug delivery approaches played a vital role in resolving these GA issues. Nanocarrier systems help improve drug moiety’s physical and chemical stability by encapsulating them into a lipidic or polymeric matrix or core system. In this regard, researchers have developed a wide range of nanocarrier systems for GA, including liposomes, transfersomes, niosomes, dendrimers, phytosomes, micelles, nanoemulsions, metallic nanoparticles, solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs), nanoparticles, nanostructured lipid carriers, polymer conjugates, etc. In the present review, different search engines like Scopus, PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar have been referred to for acquiring recent information on the theme of the work. Therefore, this review paper aims to emphasize several novel drug delivery systems, patents, and clinical updates of GA. Full article

Background and objectives: Blackberry is one of the most important berry fruits growing in Serbia. Crops and derived products are rich sources of many natural active compounds, which possess beneficial health effects. In particular, it is possible to point out the role of blackberry and its derived products in hyperglycemia prevention since it is a very common problem among the general population today. Blackberry wine is a product which could have significant beneficial health effects during moderate consumption. The aim of this study was to investigate the α-glucosidase inhibitory activity of blackberry wine and the contribution of some natural compounds to this activity. Methods: Fruit wines were produced through microvinification during controlled fermentation by using pure yeast strain culture. Samples were lyophilized and dissolved in DMSO. The inhibition of α-glucosidase was evaluated by using α-glucosidase and substrate solution, p-nitrophenyl α-D-glucopyranoside. The identification and quantification of some natural compounds was conducted by using UPLC TQ-MS/MS. Results: After lyophilization of the produced blackberry wine, all of the determinations were conducted in four samples. The results for the α-glucosidase inhibitory activity were in the range of 31.5–55.7 µg/mL. The control showed acarbose whit inhibitory activity of 75.3 µg/mL. Moreover, the estimated amount of epicatehin, catehin, chlorogenic, ellagic, and gallic acids and their contribution to the α-glucosidase inhibitory activity of the sample was from 1.7% to 7.7%. Discussion: The obtained results show that blackberry wine is a good inhibitor of α-glucosidase compared to acarbose. The presence of phenolic compounds in wine is due to its extraction from the skin and seeds of blackberry during alcoholic fermentation. Ethanol, which naturally occurs in wine, has a key role in this process. Fruit wine can be considered as a potential functional food. α-glucosidase activity depends on the synergistic and antagonistic effect of natural active compounds in fruit wine. Full article

To overcome the fruit’s perishability, mulberry wine has been developed as a method of preservation. However, dynamic changes in metabolites during mulberry wine fermentation have not been reported yet. In the present investigation, UHPLC-QE-MS/MS coupled with multivariate statistical analyses was employed to scrutinize the metabolic profiles, particularly the flavonoid profiles, throughout the process of vinification. In general, the major differential metabolites encompassed organic heterocyclic compounds, amino acids, phenylpropanoids, aromatic compounds, and carbohydrates. The contents of total sugar and alcohol play a primary role that drove the composition of amino acids, polyphenol, aromatic compound, and organic acid metabolites based on the Mantel test. Importantly, among the flavonoids, abundant in mulberry fruit, luteolin, luteolin-7-O-glucoside, (−)-epiafzelechin, eriodictyol, kaempferol, and quercetin were identified as the differential metabolic markers during blackberry wine fermentation and ripening. Flavonoid, flavone and flavonol biosynthesis were also identified to be the major metabolic pathways of flavonoids in 96 metabolic pathways. These results will provide new information on the dynamic changes in flavonoid profiles during black mulberry winemaking. Full article

Grignolino is an autochthonous Italian red variety cultivated in Piedmont (north-west Italy), used in high percentages (90–100%) to produce three main different DOC wines, generally consumed young. The Monferace project was born of an idea of 12 winegrowers wanting to create a new “old style” Grignolino red wine and inspired by ancient winemaking techniques of this variety. Monferace wine is produced following a discipline which gives some guidelines but no indications on the vinification technique or on the variety of wood to be used. The percentage of Grignolino grapes should be 100% and the ageing of 40 months, 24 of which are spent in wooden barrels of differing volumes. The aim of this work is the definition of the sensory profile of Monferace wines during ageing. The sensory analysis on 10 Monferace wines (2019 vintage) was assessed after approximately 11 months of ageing in wood. A trained panel carried out the wine sensory descriptive analysis (sensory profile) with a methodology derived from ISO norms. The results showed that all the wines were characterized by 16 attributes: color (garnet red, orange highlights), odor (rose, violet, nutmeg, pepper, blackberries, cherries, jam/marmalade, dry herbaceous, boisé-oak wood) and taste (acidity, bitterness, astringency, structure (body) and taste–olfactory persistence). Some attributes were, quantitatively, not statistically different: acidity, bitterness, astringency. All the other attributes discriminated the wines with different intensities, and each wine had a specificity. These preliminary results demonstrated the cohesion of sensory attributes among the wines, with individual distinctions within each product, and indicated that Monferace is a very promising wine style for the Grignolino variety. Full article

Biostimulants are agronomic products that have become highly important in agriculture, as they are formulated with substances capable of stimulating physiological and biochemical processes in plants that help them adapt to different detrimental environmental conditions such as drought, salinity, high temperatures, nutritional deficiencies, etc. in such a way that the crops, under these conditions, maintain a good agronomic yield and quality of harvest. Every two years, the International Congress on Biostimulants is held with the aim of publicizing the most innovative and recent advances in every relevant type of product: new active ingredients, modes of action, cultivation protocols, test platforms and phenotyping, use of analytical omics tools, etc. In December 2021, the 5th World Congress on Biostimulants was held in Miami (Florida, USA). This publication summarizes the most relevant results that were presented at this congress, in which biostimulants formulated with algae extracts and amino acids stood out in a number of presentations. The various studies presented were carried out on diverse crops such as apple, blackberry, carrot, celery, cherry, corn, grape (table and wine), olive, pear, pepper, potato, rapeseed, spinach, sunflower, soybean, tomato, and wheat. The future lines of the new generation of biostimulants were also marked. Full article

The oenological potential of native strains of Metschnikowia pulcherrima B-5 and Candida famata WB-1, isolated from blackberries, was investigated in pure and sequential fermentation of Chardonnay grape with commercial Saccharomyces cerevisiae QA23. The effect of pre-fermentative cold maceration was also analysed. The fermentations were performed in the pilot-scale trials and the profile of volatile compounds and their sensory characteristics were determined. The application of C. famata WB-1 and M. pulcherrima B-5 reduced the volatile acidity and increased total polyphenols of the wines, compared to the control samples. Higher alcohols and esters were dominant, while fatty acids and aldehydes and ketones were also detected. Esters had the greatest contribution to sensory characteristics, especially the development of floral and fruity aromas. Most esters were present in lower concentrations in sequential fermentations compared to the pure fermentations with M. pulcherrima B-5 or C. famata WB-1. Pre-fermentative maceration positively affected both the aroma and the sensory profile. The best sensory score was determined for wines produced using C. famata WB-1 in the fermentations without pre-fermentative maceration, and the sequential fermentation of M. pulcherrima B-5 with maceration. Native strains of M. pulcherrima B-5 and C. famata WB-1 have shown great potential for the enhancement of the aromatic and sensory profile of Chardonnay wine. Full article

Vitis vinifera includes a large number of cultivars that are further distinguished in biotypes and clones, and it is actually hard to differentiate them, even through complex molecular techniques. In this work, the plant materials of 56 putative Sangiovese and 14 putative Montepulciano biotypes, two of the most widespread black-berried Italian cultivars, were collected in different wine-growing areas of Italy distributed in 13 regions, from north to south. Firstly, the samples were analyzed using SSR markers to have proper varietal identification. According to the results, the genotypes belonged to three different cultivars: Sangiovese, Sanforte, and Montepulciano. Subsequently, the samples were investigated using AFLP, SAMPL, M-AFLP, and I-SSR molecular markers to estimate their intra-varietal genetic variability. The DNA marker-based method used turned out to be performing to bring out the geographic differences among the biotypes screened, and it can therefore be considered as a powerful tool available for all the grapevine varieties. Full article

This study aimed to evaluate, in vitro, the antioxidative potential of fruit wines produced from berry fruits (i.e., black chokeberry, blueberry, blackberry, and raspberry), cherry, and apple by different technological processes. For this purpose, the activities of antioxidant enzymes (catalase, glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and superoxide dismutase (SOD)) and malondialdehyde (MDA) content as a marker of membrane damage were determined in wine-treated synaptosomes with hydrogen peroxide-induced oxidative stress. All studied wines induced increased antioxidant enzyme activities and decreased MDA levels compared to hydrogen peroxide-treated synaptosomes (i.e., control). The highest SOD activity was observed in synaptosomes treated with blackberry wine (6.81 U/mg), whereas blueberry wine induced the highest catalase and glutathione peroxidase activities (0.058 U/mg and 0.017 U/mg, respectively). Black chokeberry proved to be the best in lipid peroxidation protection with the lowest MDA value (1.42 nmol/mg). Finally, principal component analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis additionally highlighted a higher antioxidant capacity of wines produced from dark-skinned fruits (i.e., blackberry, black chokeberry, and blueberry). The results suggest protective effects of the fruit wines against oxidative damage, and, accordingly, their promising application as functional food. Full article

The fermentative potential of native Candida famata isolates from wild and cultivated blackberries was evaluated for potential application in Prokupac grape must fermentation. 5 isolates, out of a total 22 isolated yeasts, were identified as C. famata. After the initial screening of fermentative performances, microfermentation was performed in a sterile grape must. Produced samples were analyzed using the HPLC technique. All isolates showed an ability to grow at lower temperatures, good tolerance to 7% ethanol and 300 ppm of SO₂. C. famata isolates WB-1, WB-2 and W-5 had similar fermentation performance, but WB-1 isolate was chosen for validation at a laboratory-scale level according to a pleasant, fruity aroma, highest fermentative vigor and power, good organic acid profile and the highest level of ethanol and glycerol produced in micro-vinification experiments. Good enological performance of selected C. famata WB-1 isolate is confirmed by higher level of glycerol, lower level of ethanol and acetic acid in wine samples produced in pure and sequential fermentation, when compared to the control sample. Throughout the selection of C. famata yeasts with good enological potential, this work gives a contribution in the area of precision enology, aiming to find a perfect match between non-exploited yeasts and “autochthonous” grape cultivar Prokupac. Full article

Nutrition plays a fundamental role in the prevention and treatment of dyslipidemias and its oxidative-related complications. Currently, there is evidence about the beneficial effects of isolated antioxidants or foods enriched or added with antioxidant compounds. However, the application of the natural foods is more integrated than the analysis of a single nutrient. Our aim is compiling scientific literature regarding the nutritional strategies by foods with antioxidant effect in blood lipids, enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants, and oxidative and inflammatory markers of subjects with dyslipidemia. We searched in MEDLINE/PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. From a total of 263 studies screened, 16 were included. Dietary strategies included walnuts, olive oil, raw almonds, G. paraguayase, white sesame, mate tea, Brazil nut flour, red wine, granulated Brazil nuts, grapes, wolfberry fruit, fermented beverage, coffee, orange, and blackberry juices showed significant differences in blood lipids, antioxidant activity, antioxidant enzymes, and oxidative and inflammatory markers. This systematic review compiling scientific studies about dietary strategies using foods with antioxidant effect to improve the antioxidant status in dyslipidemias. Full article

Berries are grown worldwide with the most consumed berries being blackberries (Rubus spp.), blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum), red raspberries (Rubus idaeus) and strawberries (Fragaria spp.). Berries are either consumed fresh, frozen, or processed into wines, juices, and jams. In recent times, researchers have focused their attention on berries due to their abundance in phenolic compounds. The current study aimed to evaluate the phenolic content and their antioxidant potential followed by characterization and quantification using LC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS and HPLC-PDA. Blueberries were highest in TPC (2.93 ± 0.07 mg GAE/g_f.w.) and TFC (70.31 ± 1.21 µg QE/g_f.w.), whereas the blackberries had the highest content in TTC (11.32 ± 0.13 mg CE/g_f.w.). Blueberries had the highest radical scavenging capacities for the DPPH (1.69 ± 0.09 mg AAE/g_f.w.), FRAP (367.43 ± 3.09 µg AAE/g_f.w.), TAC (1.47 ± 0.20 mg AAE/g_f.w.) and ABTS was highest in strawberries (3.67 ± 0.14 mg AAE/g_f.w.). LC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS study identified a total of 65 compounds including 42 compounds in strawberries, 30 compounds in raspberries, 28 compounds in blueberries and 21 compounds in blackberries. The HPLC-PDA quantification observed phenolic acid (p-hydroxybenzoic) and flavonoid (quercetin-3-rhamnoside) higher in blueberries compared to other berries. Our study showed the presence of phenolic acids and provides information to be utilized as an ingredient in food, pharmaceutical and nutraceutical industries. Full article

Fruits are a valuable source of phytochemicals. However, there is little detailed information about the compounds contained in fruit wines. In this study, wines from six different berries were analyzed using HPLC-DAD-ESI-MSⁿ. About 150 compounds were identified, including anthocyanins (34), hydroxycinnamic acids (12) and flavonols (36). Some of the compounds were identified for the first time in berry wines. The blackberry wines were found to contain the largest number of bioactive compounds (59). Elderberry wines where the richest source of polyphenols (over 1000 mg/L) and contained the largest amounts of all of the analyzed groups of compounds (hydroxycinnamic acids, anthocyanins and flavonols). The lowest concentration of polyphenols was observed in the wines made from cranberries and bilberries (less than 500 mg/L). The antioxidant activity was determined in relation to ABTS⁺, DPPH, and FRAP. The highest values were observed in the blackberry wines, and the lowest for the cranberry wines. The wines were analyzed to test their antimicrobial activity. Five of the six wines (with the exception of elderberry wine) inhibited Bacillus cereus growth and two (blackberry and cranberry wines) were active against Listeria monocytogenes. Full article

Blackberry wine is a natural source of bioactive phenolic compounds that have profound antioxidant potential. The objectives of the present research were to assess the phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity of blackberry wines (BW), and to use the chemometric analysis to differentiate among the two groups of samples, i.e., conventional and organic. Fifteen BW samples were analyzed for their total polyphenol index, total polyphenols, total flavonoids, total tannins, total monomeric anthocyanins and antioxidant activity by the appropriate spectrophotometric methods. The concentrations of individual phenolic acids (gallic acid, chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, p-coumaric acid and cinnamic acid) and trans-resveratrol were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography. A comparison between the two groups of investigated BW samples revealed a statistically significant difference in the concentration of caffeic acid and p-coumaric acid, both being higher in the organic BW samples. Furthermore, the results showed a series of statistically highly significant relationships between the analyzed constituents (caffeic acid and p-coumaric acid). The antioxidant activity of the investigated wines was proportional to the concentrations of bioactive phytochemicals. Full article