Protection of volatile esters and terpenes during storage of a white wine and a model wine medium by a mixture of N-acetyl-cysteine and caffeic acid

Abstract

A mixture of N-acetyl-cysteine + caffeic acid, at 10 + 30 mg/L respectively, was tested as inhibitor of the decrease of volatile esters and terpenes during storage of Debina white wine. Moreover, the inhibition of the decrease of isoamyl acetate, ethyl hexanoate and linalool in a model wine medium by the mixture, at 1.25 + 3.75 to 10 + 30 mg/L, was tested. Several volatiles, such as isoamyl acetate, ethyl hexanoate, ethyl octanoate, ethyl decanoate and linalool, decreased during wine storage. The mixture of N-acetyl-cysteine + caffeic acid restricted the decrease of these volatiles to a large extent. In the model medium, the mixture inhibited the decrease of the three volatiles in a dose dependent manner. It was active at any concentration tested. The present results indicate that mixture of N-acetyl-cysteine + caffeic acid, containing each compound at low concentration, may be taken into account as an effective inhibitor of the disappearance of volatile aroma in wines.