Abstract
Low alcohol wine is a new entry in the global wine market, due to the increase in consumers’ concern for health, economic and modern lifestyle issues. As low alcohol products are prone to spoilage, the adoption of natural-derived products with antimicrobial activity as biopreservatives seems to be an intriguing alternative. Thus, the aim of the present study was to investigate the possible antimicrobial properties of Citrus medica and Cinnamomum zeylanicum essential oils (EOs) and assess their commercial prospective in the wine industry. The main constituents identified by GC/MS analysis were limonene (38.46%) and linalool (35.44%) in C. medica EO, whereas trans-cinnamic-aldehyde (63.58%) was the dominant compound in C. zeylanicum EO. The minimum inhibitory (MIC), non-inhibitory (NIC) and minimum lethal concentration (MLC) values against common wine spoilage microbes were initially determined. Subsequently, their efficiency was further validated in low alcohol (~6% vol) wines, either separately or in combination at 0.010% (v/v), as well as in wines deliberately inoculated with Gluconobacter cerinus, Oenococcus oeni, Pediococcus pentosaceus, Dekkera bruxellensis, Candida zemplinina, Hanseniaspora uvarum, Pichia guilliermondii or Zygosaccharomyces bailii. EO addition led to considerable spoilage and microbial growth delay during storage at room or refrigerated temperature, suggesting their potential use as wine biopreservatives.
Highlights
Low alcohol wines constitute a new, fast-growing commercial area, due to major public concerns about the serious long-term health effects associated with alcohol consumption, together with consumers’preferences, which are mostly directed by modern lifestyle and economic reasons
Citrus medica and Cinnamomum zeylanicum are plants with a great potential in the food industry, as several bioactive compounds with considerable beneficial effects are present in different plant parts [7,8]
Cinnamomum zeylanicum essential oils (EOs) was supplied by Charabot S.A. (Grasse, France)
Summary
Low alcohol wines constitute a new, fast-growing commercial area, due to major public concerns about the serious long-term health effects associated with alcohol consumption, together with consumers’preferences, which are mostly directed by modern lifestyle and economic reasons. Citrus medica (citrus) and Cinnamomum zeylanicum (cinnamon) are plants with a great potential in the food industry, as several bioactive compounds with considerable beneficial effects are present in different plant parts [7,8]. Both citron and cinnamon and their derivatives are used in carbonated drinks and alcoholic beverages as raw materials and/or flavoring agents.
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