Carotenoid and chlorophyll-derived compounds in some wine grapes grown in Apulian region.

Carotenoid compounds in wine grapes (Chardonnay, Merlot, Primitivo, Negroamaro) grown in Apulian region were investigated by chromatographic and spectrometric analyses. Cis-isomers of lutein and beta-carotene (9Z, 9'Z-lutein and 9Z-beta-carotene) and 5,6-epoxyxanthophylls were detected: 9'Z-neoxanthin, violaxanthin, and 5,6-epoxylutein. Moreover, zeaxanthin was efficiently resolved from lutein by a selective factor > 1 (alpha= 1.

Effects of olive maturation and stoning on quality indices and antioxidant content of extra virgin oils (cv. Coratina) during storage.

Unlabelled: Quality indices, antioxidant compounds, and antioxidant activities of extra-virgin oils from Coratina olives were evaluated during a 12-mo storage. Whole and stoned olives, picked at 2 different maturation index (MI), were submitted to malaxation for 45 min and extracted by a 3-phase continuous system. A 90-min malaxation trial was also performed for the stoned olives.

Phenolic content and antioxidant activity of Primitivo wine: comparison among winemaking technologies.

The aim of this study was to assess the influence of 9 winemaking technologies (traditional, delestage, saignée, delayed punching-down, addition of grape seed tannins, addition of ellagic-skin-seed tannins, heating of must-wine, cryo-maceration, and prolonged maceration) on the phenolic content and antioxidant activity of Primitivo musts and wines. Three methods for the determination of the antioxidant activity were compared: DPPH, beta-carotene bleaching assay, and ABTS. Oenological parameters and composition of the phenolic fraction of 1-y-aged wines was also determined.

Changes in phenolic content and antioxidant activity of Italian extra-virgin olive oils during storage.

Phenolic composition and antioxidant activity of extra-virgin olive oils extracted from several Italian varieties were studied at production and during storage. The antioxidant activity was measured according to the following tests: in the aqueous phase, by radical scavenging of the 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) radical cation; and in the lipid phase, using the beta-carotene bleaching method. The phenolic content was not correlated to the oxidation indices (peroxide value and spectrophotometric constants).

Rapid screening for anthocyanins and anthocyanin dimers in crude grape extracts by high performance liquid chromatography coupled with diode array detection and tandem mass spectrometry.

A rapid and efficient method using high performance liquid chromatography coupled with diode array detection and tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-DAD-MS/MS) for fast screening large numbers of anthocyanins and anthocyanin dimers in different grape skin extracts, without further sample clean-up procedures, was developed. A good separation of most detected anthocyanins was achieved in a run time of 15 min. Identification of anthocyanin pigments required a combination of several information: UV-vis spectra, MS and MS/MS spectra, and elution pattern.