Changes to polyphenols in the process of production of must and wines from blackcurrants and cherries. Part I. Total polyphenols and phenolic acids

The effect of pulp treatment on the qualitative and quantitative changes to polyphenol compounds exhibiting antioxidant properties, in musts and wines from blackcurrants and cherries was investigated. The following variants of pulp treatment were used: hot maceration, hot maceration and pulp pectinolysis with Rohapect MA Plus and Pektopol PM preparations, and also pulp pectinolysis with Rohapect and Pektopol preparations. Blackcurrant musts contained from 4800 to 6600 mg l^-1 of total polyphenols and cherry musts from 3060 to 3920 mg l^-1. The fermentation process caused a decrease in polyphenols content of approximately 25%. In production of fruit wines, the pulp treatment method had a considerable effect on the total content of polyphenols. In blackcurrant wines the highest extraction of polyphenols was obtained after pectinolysis with a Rohapect preparation. In the case of cherry wines the highest content of these compounds was extracted during pectinolysis with a Pektopol preparation. In musts and wines the presence of the following compounds, derivatives of hydroxycinnamic acid, was determined: neochlorogenic, chlorogenic, caffeic, p-coumaric and ferulic acids. The content of neochlorogenic acid was the highest both in musts and wines from blackcurrants and cherries and amounted to 41.7-126.3 mg l^-1, and 24.7-35.3 mg l^-1 respectively for blackcurrants and 74.3-87.7 mg l^-1and 44.5-71.4 mg l^-1 respectively for cherries. The enzymatic preparation Pektopol PM contained an enzyme acting as depsidase. It broke down chlorogenic acid and other compounds to simple phenolic acids (caffeic acid, p-coumaric acid).