Primary Fermentation in Wine Production Influence on Phenolic Retention and Valorization Potential of Berry Skin By-Products

TL;DR

This study shows how wine fermentation affects the phenolic content of berry skins, revealing species-specific changes that could help improve the use of these by-products in food and health products.

Contribution

The study provides a comparative analysis of how primary fermentation alters phenolic profiles in different berry species, offering insights for optimizing by-product valorization.

Findings

Primary fermentation caused significant species-dependent changes in phenolic composition of berry skins.

Cranberry and chokeberry skins showed increased phenolic content due to the release of bound phenolics and new low-molecular-weight acids.

Fermentation enhanced biotransformation into simpler phenolics while reducing native anthocyanins and catechins.

Abstract

Berry skins are rich in phenolic compounds but are commonly discarded as low-value waste during berry wine production. The present study evaluated how primary alcoholic fermentation affects the retention and transformation of phenolics in berry skins of blackcurrant (Ribes nigrum L.), black chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa L.), lingonberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea L.), rowanberry (Sorbus aucuparia L.), and cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon L.). Non-fermented and fermented skin fractions were analysed using Folin–Ciocalteu and HPLC to determine total and individual phenolic profiles. Primary fermentation induced significant species-dependent changes in phenolic composition. Blackcurrant, lingonberry, and rowanberry skins exhibited substantial decreases in total phenolics (−66%, −26%, and −57%, respectively), driven by strong losses of flavan-3-ols and hydroxycinnamic acids. In contrast, cranberry and chokeberry skins showed net increases in phenolic content (+47% and +18%, respectively), associated with the release of bound phenolics and the appearance of new low-molecular-weight phenolic acids such as gallic acid. Across all species, fermentation enhanced biotransformation into simpler phenolics while reducing major native anthocyanins and catechins. These results demonstrate that the influence of primary fermentation on berry skins is not uniform but dictated by their inherent phenolic architecture. Berries rich in polymeric or conjugated phenolics benefit from fermentation through increased phenolic extractability. The findings provide a comparative basis for optimizing fermentation and post-processing strategies to enhance the valorization potential of berry by-products in food and nutraceutical applications.

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