Correlation between the amino acid content in rice wine and protein content in glutinous rice

Abstract

Chinese rice wine is a fermentation product of glutinous rice that contains high levels of protein and amino acids. The turnover and catabolism of amino acids by fermentative microorganisms plays an important role in wine quality. The fermentation of Chinese rice wine, using 34 different varieties of glutinous rice, and the analysis of the protein and amino acid content of the resultant rice wine using precolumn derivatization via high-performance liquid chromatography, are reported. A model of correlation and regression analysis of the protein content in the glutinous rice and the amino acids in rice wine was established. Results showed that the correlation coefficient between the total protein in glutinous rice and the total free amino acids in rice wine was 0.557, indicating a significant relevance. The population correlation coefficient between the total protein in the glutinous rice and the amino acids in the rice wine was high, i.e. R= 0.928. The correlation between the soluble protein content in the glutinous rice and the total free amino acids in the rice wine (or individual amino acids) was negligible. The total protein content in the rice variety was positively related to the sensory performance and free amino acid content of the resultant Chinese rice wine.