Towards Sulphite-Free Winemaking: A New Horizon of Vinification and Maturation.

The complex dynamics between oxygen exposure, sulphur dioxide (SO2) utilization, and wine quality are of the utmost importance in wine sector, and this study aims to explore their fine balance in winemaking. As a common additive, SO2 works as an antiseptic and antioxidant. However, its excessive use has raised health concerns. Regulatory guidelines, including Council Regulation (EC) N° 1493/1999 and Commission Regulation (EC) No 1622/2000, dictate SO2 concentrations in wines. The increasing demand for natural preservatives is driving the search for alternatives, with natural plant extracts, rich in phenolic compounds, emerging as promising substitutes. In this context, Bioma Company has proposed alternative additives deriving from vineyard waste to replace SO2 during winemaking. Thus, the aim of the present work was to compare the compositional characteristics between the product obtained with the alternative vinification and the traditional one during the winemaking, as well as the aroma compositions of the final wines. After a year of experimentation, the wines produced with Bioma products showed compositional characteristics comparable to their traditional counterparts. Notably, these wines comply with current legislation, with significantly reduced total sulphur content, allowing their designation as "without added sulphites". Bioma products emerge as potential catalysts for sustainable and health-conscious winemaking practices, reshaping the landscape of the industry.

Bread Improvement with Nutraceutical Ingredients Obtained from Food By-Products: Effect on Quality and Technological Aspects.

The use of by-products as functional ingredients for bread recipes may open up new horizons in terms of product innovation to increase nutraceutical characteristics and/or shelf-life. In this research, the ability of residual products from important food chains (Citrus and wine) to influence the water binding capacity of dough and bread was investigated in order to create industrial breads of high quality with prolonged shelf-life in the absence of any chemical additives (e.g., ethanol, sorbic acid, and propionic acid). The product under study is the 'Pan Bauletto bianco con olio EVO' (white bakery bread with EVO oil), an 'industrial bread' type usually treated with ethanol before being marketed, aiming to prolong its short shelf-life. The effect of the addition of different amounts of pectin (Citrus supply chain) and grape pomace (wine supply chain), in combination or not, has shown promising results from both a technological point of view and the increasing shelf-life, allowing to obtain products with high nutraceutical value and interesting properties.

Addition of Spirulina to Craft Beer: Evaluation of the Effects on Volatile Flavor Profile and Cytoprotective Properties.

SPME-GC-MS and PTR-ToF-MS techniques were applied to describe the content of volatile flavor compounds in a craft beer before and after adding spirulina. The obtained results showed that the volatile profile of the two beer samples differed. Furthermore, to chemically characterize biomass spirulina, a derivatization reaction followed by GC-MS analysis was performed, highlighting a high content of molecules belonging to different chemical classes, such as sugars, fatty acids and carboxylic acids. A spectrophotometric analysis of total polyphenols and tannins, investigation into the scavenging activity towards DPPH and ABTS radicals and confocal microscopy of brewer's yeast cells were carried out. Moreover, the cytoprotective and antioxidant properties towards the oxidative damage induced by tert-butyl hydroperoxide (tBOOH) in human H69 cholangiocytes were investigated. Finally, the modulation of Nrf2 signaling under oxidative stress conditions was also evaluated. Both samples of beer were shown to contain similar levels of total polyphenols and tannins, with slightly increased levels in that containing spirulina 0.25% w/v. Moreover, the beers were found to be endowed with radical scavenging properties towards both DPPH and ABTS radicals, albeit with a weak contribution of spirulina; however, a higher riboflavin content was detected in spirulina-treated yeast cells. Conversely, the addition of spirulina (0.25% w/v) appeared to improve the cytoprotective properties of beer towards tBOOH-induced oxidative damage in H69 cells and reduce intracellular oxidative stress. Accordingly, the cytosolic Nrf2 expression was found to be increased.

Identification of Volatile Molecules and Bioactivity of Gruyt Craft Beer Enriched with Citrus aurantium var. dulcis L. Essential Oil.

In this work, for the first time, a gruyt beer and the same one after the addition of Citrus aurantium essential oil (AEO), were investigated to determine the composition of the volatile fraction. The applied analytical techniques, such as Head Space/Solid Phase Microextraction-Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (HS/SPME-GC-MS) and Proton Transfer Reaction-Time of Flight-Mass Spectrometer (PTR-ToF-MS), allowed us to identify the content of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). From the comparison between the two beer samples, it showed that the one after the addition of AEO was particularly richened in limonene and a series of minor terpene compounds. AEO was also characterized by GC/MS analysis and the results showed that limonene reached 95%. Confocal microscopy was used to look at riboflavin autofluorescence in yeast cells. It was found that beer with AEO had twice as much fluorescence intensity as the control. A spectrophotometric analysis of total polyphenols, tannins, and flavonoids, and a bioactivity screening, including 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2'-Azinobis-(3-Ethylbenzthiazolin-6-Sulfonic Acid) (ABTS) radical scavenger, chelating, reducing, antiglycative ones, were also carried out. Moreover, the tolerability of the tested samples in human H69 cholangiocytes and the cytoprotection towards the tert-butyl hydroperoxide (tBOOH)-induced oxidative damage were evaluated. Under our experimental conditions, the beers were found to be able to scavenge DPPH and ABTS radicals and chelate iron ions, despite weak antiglycative and reducing properties. The tested samples did not affect the viability of H69 cholangiocytes up to the highest concentrations; moreover, no signs of cytoprotection against the damage induced by tBOOH were highlighted. Adding AEO to beer resulted in a moderate enhancement of its DPPH scavenging and chelating abilities, without improvements in the other assays. Conversely, AEO and its major compound limonene were ineffective when assessed at the concentrations added to beer. This evidence suggests that the addition of AEO may enhance the organoleptic features of the beer and slightly potentiate some of its bioactivities.

"Hemping" the drinks: Aromatizing alcoholic beverages with a blend of Cannabis sativa L. flowers.

Cannabis sativa L. is a multi-purpose crop, traditionally used for fibre and seed production, whose cultivation is permitted in Europe for varieties complying with the Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol 0.2% threshold. To face the need for a more sustainable agriculture system, the circularization of the crop industries is of the utmost importance. For hemp, the present study proposes the use of flowers, normally regarded to as crop residues, as further exploitable by-products. A French, 'Futura 75', and a Ukrainian, 'Uso 31', cultivar flowers were used for the extraction of the essential oil (EO) and as flavouring agents of two artisanal alcoholic beverages (a beer and a liqueur). The compositions of the EOs and the beverage headspaces were characterized by GC-MS, then subjected to multivariate statistical analysis. The enrichment of the flavour bouquet was more evident for the liqueur, which retained more hemp-derived compounds. The beer maintained its volatile aroma compounds profile, slightly enriched with more balsamic notes.