Temperature and storage effects on antioxidant activity of juice from red and white grapes

The effect of temperature and storage time on the phenolic composition and on the antioxidant activity of grape (Vitis vinifera L.) juices made using a red (Sangiovese, SG) and a white (Muscat of Alexandria, MA) variety was studied. Total phenolics, flavonoids, flavan-3-ols and hydroxycinnamoyl-tartrates (HCT) were determined on grape extracts (GE) and juices. Total anthocyanins and anthocyanins composition were measured on GE. The antioxidant activity was assessed by means of two different in vitro tests: scavenging of the stable 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical and the inhibition of tyrosine nitration mediated by authentic peroxynitrite (ONOO-). All the juices were analysed after 24 h and 2 weeks of storage by means of two-way anova (factors being cultivar and temperature). Anthocyanins were not detected in MA extract, whereas in SG their content was 534 mg malvidin-equivalent per 100 g of dry matter (d.m.) and malvidin derivatives (glycosylated and coumaroylated) were the most represented (respectively 169 and 41 malvidin-equivalent per 100 g of d.m.). HCT content of the extracts was higher in SG (overall +33%). Also in grape juices, HCT were lower in MA and in this variety, the trans-fertaric and cis-coutaric acids were also undetectable. Cultivar effect proved to be highly significant, while no significant differences in the phenolic composition were observed for storage temperatures (4 and -20 degrees C) and cultivar x temperature interaction. However, when statistical analysis was focused on each cultivar, MA was found to be more sensible to storage conditions and a significant reduction in total phenolics (-20%) and flavonoids (-53%) content and in the ONOO- scavenging potential (-32%) was evident after 2 weeks at 4 degrees C (when compared with the same storage temperature after 24 h). On the contrary, SG juices did not show significant differences among the four storage treatments investigated. These results could be explained suggesting that anthocyanins presence in red grape plays a key role in juice stability.