Evaluation of Glycerol Profiles in Sugarcane Spirits (Cachaças)

André C Garcia,Douglas W Franco,Felipe A T Serafim,Denis De Keukeleire

doi:10.5935/0103-5053.20140213

Abstract

A new method for glycerol quantification in sugarcane spirits (cachacas) is proposed, based on sample derivatization using benzoyl chloride followed by solid-phase extraction and high performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection analysis. The limits of detection and quantification for glycerol analysis are 0.25 mg L−1 and 0.74 mg L−1, respectively. The accuracy is of 97.5%, the precision 93.5% and the linearity r2 = 0.998 in the range of 0.56 mg L−1 to 112.0 mg L−1 of glycerol. Experiments with forty eight samples of aged and non-aged cachacas and seven alcoholic extracts of wood showed that the aging process contributes to increase the glycerol concentration. The average concentration of glycerol in aged cachacas were about 10-fold higher than in non-aged cachacas.

Highlights

The typical Brazilian sugarcane spirit, is the alcoholic beverage obtained from distillation of fermented sugarcane juice
The average mass spectrum of glycerol, which is consistent with the proposed structure for the derivatized molecule, was obtained in 24.5 min, which correspond to the retention time of glycerol derivative
A methodology based on glycerol derivatization using benzoyl chloride followed by solid-phase extraction and subsequent HPLC-DAD analysis has been successfully applied for the quantification of glycerol in sugarcane spirits

Summary

Introduction

The typical Brazilian sugarcane spirit, is the alcoholic beverage obtained from distillation of fermented sugarcane juice. It has an annual production around two billion liters, from which about 1% is exported.[1,2,3] The spirit is appreciated for its aroma and flavor,[4] that are derived from fermentation, distillation and, from aging in wooden casks. The presence of glycerol in wines and its contribution to the sweet taste and the viscosity are well known.[10,11] Glycerol is the second most abundant alcohol and is produced by the yeasts cells during sugar fermentation as it maintains the osmoregulation and the redox balance of the yeasts cells.[12] the distillation process, glycerol (boiling point of 290 °C) is still present in the spirits such as the cachaça and the distilled of grape marc (bagaceira), at lower concentrations than those reported for wines.[13]

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