Systematic study of hydroxyl radical production in white wines as a function of chemical composition.

The chemical oxidation of white wines through the Fenton reaction has been widely studied, wherein the primary species is the hydroxyl radical (OH). This radical possesses high oxidising power and may oxidise the primary components in wines. The Fenton reaction in wines is complex and includes the participation of phenolic compounds, organic acids, and metals. However, there has been no systematic study to date that relates wine composition to OH production in real white wines. In this paper, a multivariate model was generated using the partial least squares (PLS) algorithm, and linear correlations were established between wine composition and OH production. Based on the results, the variables were classified as either pro-oxidants (malic acid, p-coumaric acid, and caffeic acid, % prodelphinidins, procyanidins B1, Mn, Cu, and Zn) or antioxidants (cis-piceid, ellagic acid, gallic acid, proanthocyanins, glucose, and proton concentration). Finally, the pathways by which wine compounds participate in OH production are discussed.