Abstract
Tannins are a group of polyphenols found in fruits, leaves, trees, etc., well known in the leather industry and in apples, persimmons and grapes, because of their capacity to interact with other polyphenols or other components either from the food product or from saliva. Prior to being able to interact with other compounds, tannins have to be extracted from the food matrix, which depends on their chemistry, as well as the chemical structure of other components, such as cell wall material and proteins. Vitis vinifera grapes are commonly grown around the world and are used in winemaking, providing good quality wines with different levels of tannins responsible for the final wine’s astringency. Many studies have focused on tannins extractability and retention with cell wall material, and the reactivity of tannins with proteins in Vitis vinifera grapes and wine, but there are very few reports for other Vitis species. However, depending on the environmental characteristics of certain regions, Vitis hybrid grapes are grown and used to produce wines more and more. This review focuses on the comparison of the chemistry of tannins, and their reactivity with other macromolecules in Vitis species.
Highlights
Tannins are plant polyphenolic secondary metabolites used during Classical Antiquity in the treatment of animal skins to avoid their putrefaction
The goal of this review is to provide an overview of the differences between Vitis vinifera and interspecific hybrid grapes and wine, as well as the chemistry of their tannins
Skin and seed tannins accumulate from flowering to véraison, and their concentration decreases during berry maturation, due to either a reduction of their extractability resulting from the reaction of tannins with proteins, polyphenols, and polysaccharides from the cell walls and/or oxidation reactions [44,45,46]
Summary
Tannins are plant polyphenolic secondary metabolites used during Classical Antiquity in the treatment of animal skins to avoid their putrefaction. Tannins contribute to the reduction of cardiovascular diseases and of some cancer risks Depending on their chemical structure, they can be found in specific botanical sources and/or plant parts. The most common wild American varieties used for breeding were Vitis riparia, Vitis rupestris, Vitis berlandieri and Vitis labrusca, but the latter provides “foxy-smelling” aromas to the wine produced [6]. Today, these interspecific hybrid grapes are commonly used in cold regions, because of their resistance to the extreme climate of harsh cold winters and hot humid summers. The reactivity of tannins with proteins and polysaccharides is detailed to provide potential explanations of the limited tannin extraction in the hybrid cultivar wines
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
