Health-promoting peptides in fermented beverages.

Since ancient times, the consumption of fermented low-alcoholic beverages has enjoyed widespread popularity in various countries, because of their distinct flavors and health benefits. Several studies have demonstrated that light to moderate alcohol consumption is associated with beneficial effects on human health, mainly in cardiovascular disease prevention. Fermented beverages have different non-ethanol components that confer beneficial health effects.

Characterization of the phenolic fraction from Argentine wine and its effect on viability and polysaccharide production of Pediococcus pentosaceus.

Objectives: To qualitatively and quantitatively characterize a low molecular weight phenolic fraction (LMF) of Malbec wine from Cafayate, Argentina, and evaluate its effect on viability and exopolysaccharide production of Pediococcus pentosaceus 12p, a wine spoilage bacterium.

Results: The phenolic compounds detected were, in general, comparable to data previously reported but hydroxycinnamic acids were detected at higher concentrations than determined in other studies. Addition of LMF at identical concentrations present in wine or a four times concentrated LMF mixture to a synthetic wine-like medium produced a diminution in bacterial viability and exopolysaccharide production in the supernatant culture.

Proteolytic activity of Oenococcus oeni enables the increase in antioxidant and antihypertensive activities from wine.

Oenococcus oeni is a lactic acid bacterium involved in winemaking where it generally carries out the malolactic fermentation converting the wine's malic acid into lactic acid. In this work were used the strain m of Oenococcus oeni. The culture was inoculated at 10⁸ Log CFU/mL in a synthetic wine medium (SW) supplemented with a fraction of high molecular weight constituted by proteins and polypeptides (FPP) obtained from Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah wines from Colalao del Valle, Tucumán, Argentine.

Increase in antioxidant and antihypertensive peptides from Argentinean wines by Oenococcus oeni.

Cells from an exponential Oenococcus oeni m1 culture in a grape juice medium were inoculated into a synthetic wine medium (SW) supplemented with a protein and polypeptide fraction (PPF) of high molecular weight (higher than 12,400 Da) obtained from four varietals of Cafayate Argentinean wines. O. oeni maintains viability after 48 h incubation time and enables the increase in extracellular proteolytic activity and the release of low molecular weight peptides by 1.