Identification of adducts between an odoriferous volatile thiol and oxidized grape phenolic compounds: kinetic study of adduct formation under chemical and enzymatic oxidation conditions

Determination of o-quinones in foods by a derivative strategy combined with UHPLC-MS/MS

As primary polyphenol oxidant products, the occurrence of o-quinone is greatly responsible for quality deterioration in wine, including browning and aroma loss. The high reactivity of o-quinone causes huge difficulty in its determination. Herein, a derivative strategy combined with UHPLC-MS/MS analysis was established with chlorogenic acid quinone (CQAQ) and 4-methylcatechol quinone (4MCQ) as model compounds. Method validation demonstrated its efficiency for two analytes (R2 > 0.99, accuracy 98.71-106.39 %, RSD of precision 0.46-6.11 %, recovery 85.83-99.37 %). This approach was successfully applied to detect CQAQ and 4MCQ, suggesting its applicability in food analysis. CQAQ in coffee was much more than 4MCQ and with the deepening of baking degree, CQAQ decreased and 4MCQ increased. The amounts of CQAQ in various vegetables were markedly different, seemingly consistent with their respective browning degrees in practical production. This study developed an accurate and robust analytical approach for o-quinones, providing technical support for their further investigation in foods.

Identification of Protein-Phenol Adducts in Meat Proteins: A Molecular Probe Technology Study

Plant polyphenols with a catechol structure can form covalent adducts with meat proteins, which affects the quality and processing of meat products. However, there is a lack of fast and effective methods of characterizing these adducts and understanding their mechanisms. This study aimed to investigate the covalent interaction between myofibrillar protein (MP) and caffeic acid (CA), a plant polyphenol with a catechol structure, using molecular probe technology. The CA-MP adducts were separated via sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and detected via Western blot and LC-MS/MS analyses. The Western blot analysis revealed that various specific adducts were successfully enriched and identified as bands around 220 kDa, 45 kDa, and two distinct bands between 95 and 130 kDa. Combined with the LC-MS/MS analysis, a total of 51 peptides were identified to be CA-adducted, corresponding to 31 proteins. More than 80% of the adducted peptides carried one adducted site, and the rest carried two adducted sites. The adducted sites were located on cysteine (C/Cys), histidine (H/His), arginine (R/Arg), lysine (K/Lys), proline (P/Pro), and N-terminal (N-Term) residues. Results showed that the covalent interaction of CA and MP was highly selective for the R side chain of amino acids. Moreover, the adducts were more likely to form via C-N bonding than C-S bonding. This study provides new insights into the covalent interaction of plant polyphenols and meat proteins, which has important implications for the rational use of plant polyphenols in the meat processing industry.

From polyphenol to o-quinone: Occurrence, significance, and intervention strategies in foods and health implications

Polyphenol oxidation is a chemical process impairing food freshness and other desirable qualities, which has become a serious problem in fruit and vegetable processing industry. It is crucial to understand the mechanisms involved in these detrimental alterations. o-Quinones are primarily generated by polyphenols with di/tri-phenolic groups through enzymatic oxidation and/or auto-oxidation. They are highly reactive species, which not only readily suffer the attack by nucleophiles but also powerfully oxidize other molecules presenting lower redox potentials via electron transfer reactions. These reactions and subsequent complicated reactions are capable of initiating quality losses in foods, such as browning, aroma loss, and nutritional decline. To attenuate these adverse influences, a variety of technologies have emerged to restrain polyphenol oxidation via governing different factors, especially polyphenol oxidases and oxygen. Despite tremendous efforts devoted, to date, the loss of food quality caused by quinones has remained a great challenge in the food processing industry. Furthermore, o-quinones are responsible for the chemopreventive effects and/or toxicity of the parent catechols on human health, the mechanisms by which are quite complex. Herein, this review focuses on the generation and reactivity of o-quinones, attempting to clarify mechanisms involved in the quality deterioration of foods and health implications for humans. Potential innovative inhibitors and technologies are also presented to intervene in o-quinone formation and subsequent reactions. In future, the feasibility of these inhibitory strategies should be evaluated, and further exploration on biological targets of o-quinones is of great necessity.

Unravelling copper effect on the production of varietal thiols during Colombard and Gros Manseng grape juices fermentation by Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Nowadays the rapidly increasing organic vineyard management with the utilization of copper as sole fungal control pesticide against downy mildew raises once again the question of copper impact on varietal thiols in wine. For this purpose, Colombard and Gros Manseng grape juices were fermented under different copper levels (from 0.2 to 3.88  mg/l) to mimic the consequences in must of organic practices. The consumption of thiol precursors and the release of varietal thiols (both free and oxidized forms of 3-sulfanylhexanol and 3-sulfanylhexyl acetate) were monitored by LC-MS/MS. It was found that the highest copper level (3.6 and 3.88  mg/l for Colombard and Gros Manseng respectively) significantly increased yeast consumption of precursors (by 9.0 and 7.6% for Colombard and Gros Manseng respectively). For both grape varieties, free thiol content in wine significantly decreased (by 84 and 47% for Colombard and Gros Manseng respectively) with the increase of copper in the starting must as already described in the literature. However, the total thiol content produced throughout fermentation was constant regardless of copper conditions for the Colombard must, meaning that the effect of copper was only oxidative for this variety. Meanwhile, in Gros Manseng fermentation, the total thiol content increased along with copper content, resulting in an increase up to 90%; this suggests that copper may modify the regulation of the production pathways of varietal thiols, also underlining the key role of oxidation. These results complement our knowledge on copper effect during thiol-oriented fermentation and the importance of considering the total thiol production (reduced+oxidized) to better understand the effect of studied parameters and differenciate chemical from biological effects.

Temperature affects the kinetics but not the products of the reaction between 4-methylbenzoquinone and lysine

Quinones are electrophilic compounds that can undergo Michael addition or Schiff base reaction with nucleophilic amines, but the effect of temperature has not been systematically studied. The aim of this study was to characterize how temperature affects the reaction mechanism and kinetics of 4-methylbenzoquinone (4MBQ) with lysine (Lys), N^α-acetyl Lys or N^ε-acetyl Lys. The products were identified and characterized by LC-MS/MS, which revealed formation of Michael addition products, Schiff base, and a di-adduct in Lys and N^α-acetyl Lys-containing reaction mixtures. The product profiles were not affected by temperature in the range of 15-100 °C. NMR analysis proved that Michael addition of N^α-acetyl Lys occurred on the C5 position of 4MBQ. Rate constants for the reactions studied by stopped-flow UV-vis spectrophotometry under pseudo-first-order conditions where the amines were present in excess in the range 15 °C to 45 °C showed the α-amino groups of Lys are more reactive than the ε-groups. The kinetics results revealed that the temperature dependence of reaction rates followed the Arrhenius law, with activation energies in the order: Lys < N^ε-acetyl Lys < N^α-acetyl Lys. Our results provide detailed knowledge about the temperature dependence of the reaction between Lys residues and quinones under conditions relevant for storage of foods.

UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap /MS2 identification of (+)-Catechin oxidation reaction dimeric products in red wines and grape seed extracts

B-type procyanidin dimers and (+)-catechin dimeric oxidation products were analyzed in grape seed extracts and red wines (UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap MS). The different dimers had different fragmentation patterns according to their interflavan linkage position. Oxidation dimeric compounds had a specific fragment ion at m/z 393, missing for B-Type dimers fragmentations. A fragment ion at m/z 291 occurred and was specific for oxidation dimeric compounds with a COC linkage. Higher level oxidation products had abundant specific fragments: m/z 425, 397 and 245. These fragmentations were useful to identify them in complex samples such as grape seed extracts and wines. Three grape varieties and three ripening stages were selected and the corresponding seed extracts were obtained. The analyses revealed an increasing trend for the oxidation markers during grape ripening. The analysis of Syrah wines (2018, 2014, 2010) showed a decreasing trend of these molecules during wine ageing which might be due to further oxidation.

Mechanistic Insights into the Inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease by Clovamide and Its Derivatives: In Silico Studies

The novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease (Mpro) is an internally encoded enzyme that hydrolyzes the translated polyproteins at designated sites. The protease directly mediates viral replication processes; hence, a promising target for drug design. Plant-based natural products, especially polyphenols and phenolic compounds, provide the scaffold for many effective antiviral medications, and have recently been shown to be able to inhibit Mpro of SARS-CoV-2. Specifically, polyphenolic compounds found in cacao and chocolate products have been shown by recent experimental studies to have strong inhibitory effects against Mpro activities. This work aims to uncover the inhibition processes of Mpro by a natural phenolic compound found in cacao and chocolate products, clovamide. Clovamide (caffeoyl-DOPA) is a naturally occurring caffeoyl conjugate that is found in the phenolic fraction of Theobroma Cacao L. and a potent radical-scavenging antioxidant as suggested by previous studies of our group. Here, we propose inhibitory mechanisms by which clovamide may act as a Mpro inhibitor as it becomes oxidized by scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the body, or becomes oxidized as a result of enzymatic browning. We use molecular docking, annealing-based molecular dynamics, and Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations to study the interactions between clovamide with its derivatives and Mpro catalytic and allosteric sites. Our molecular modelling studies provide mechanistic insights of clovamide inhibition of Mpro, and indicate that clovamide may be a promising candidate as a drug lead molecule for COVID-19 treatments.

Detection and Identification of Oxidation Markers of the Reaction of Grape Tannins with Volatile Thiols Commonly Found in Wine

Condensed tannins undergo many modifications during winemaking and the aging of wine. These reactions take place between the various constituent units of the tannins as well with other types of molecules present in wines. This work aimed to highlight the potential reactions of tannins and aromas. After the monomeric standards of the reaction products were synthesized, the study of the reactivity of tannins (dimer B2, trimer C1, and grape seed tannins composed of 23% epicatechin-3-O-gallate) with aromas (3-sufanylhexan-1-ol, 4-methyl-4-sulfanylpentan-2-one, ethanethiol, and furfurylthiol) permitted identification of numerous reaction products. These tannin/aroma oxidation markers, detected after chemical depolymerization, allow for progress in the characterization of tannins in the oenological environment and the understanding of their reactivity toward the molecules present in the samples. A better characterization of tannins will make it possible to better measure the impact of these modifications on the organoleptic qualities of wines.

NMR in the Service of Wine Differentiation

NMR is a swift and highly reproducible spectrometric technique that makes it possible to obtain spectra containing a lot of information about the sample analyzed. This approach helps major components be described in complex mixtures such as wine in just one analysis. Analysis of wine metabolites is very often used to understand the impact of geographical origin or variety on wine quality. NMR is often used for tracing the geographical origin of wine. Research on NMR metabolic effects of geographical origin is of great importance as the high added value of wines results from compliance with state legislation on the protected denomination of origin (PDO) and protected geographical indication (PGI) for the administration of the appellation of wines. A review of NMR with emphasis on SNIF-NMR in the analysis of wine authenticity is given. SNIF-NMR remains a method of choice for the detection of wine chaptalization as it is the only approach which provides position-specific information on the origin of sugar in wine. However, the sample preparation step, which lacks major improvements since its conception, is strenuous and expensive, and suffers from drawbacks in terms of low sample throughput. Mainstream 1D and 2D NMR experiments provide a fast and affordable way to authenticate wine based on the geographical origin, vintage, and variety discrimination, and include a simple and non-destructive sample preparation step. With this approach, spectral data processing often represents a crucial step of the analysis. With properly performed NMR experiments good to excellent differentiation of wines from different vintages, regions, and varieties was achieved recently.

Identification and characterisation of thiolated polysulfides in must and wine using online SPE UHPLC-HRMS

3-Mercaptohexanol and 4-methyl-4-mercaptopentanone are volatile thiols with a low perception threshold and are found in relatively low concentrations in several types of wines, e.g. Sauvignon blanc. They contribute positively to the flavour of a wine when in their free form, but they can oxidise, especially in the presence of Cu²⁺ and sulfur residues originating from pesticide treatments on the grapes. This condensation reaction results in the formation of polysulfides, which during storage can cause the release of H₂S: a compound known to give rise to off-flavour in wine. The formation of these polysulfides has been proposed to originate from cysteinyl and glutathionyl S-conjugate precursors, but they have not yet been characterised. In this work, a method using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry and online solid-phase extraction was designed and optimised for detection of these S-conjugates. The method allowed the detection of 21 suspected symmetrical and asymmetrical S-conjugates in thiol-supplemented aqueous solutions, of which 17 were also recovered in supplemented synthetic musts and wines. Moreover, the proposed method was used to investigate polysulfide formation upon addition of two different types of sulfur. Differences in formation of S-conjugates were evident in the synthetic samples: a higher relative abundance was observed upon addition of wettable sulfur compared to washed sulfur. For the commercial wines, differences in polysulfide formation were minor and merely related to the differences between the wines and not to the type of sulfur added.

Antioxidant activity from inactivated yeast: Expanding knowledge beyond the glutathione-related oxidative stability of wine

Maintaining wine oxidative stability during barrel ageing and shelf life storage remains a challenge. This study evaluated the antioxidant activities of soluble extracts from seven enological yeast derivatives (YDs) with increased glutathione (GSH) enrichment. YDs enriched in GSH appeared on average 3.3 times more efficient at quenching radical species than YDs not enriched in GSH. The lack of correlation (Spearman correlation ρ = 0.46) between the GSH concentration released from YDs and their radical scavenging activity shed light on other non-GSH compounds present. After 4-methyl-1,2-benzoquinone derivatization, UHPLC-Q-ToF MS analyses specifically identified 52 nucleophiles potentially representing an extensive molecular nucleophilic fingerprint of YDs. The comparative analysis of YD chemical oxidation conditions revealed that the nucleophilic molecular fingerprint of the YD was strongly correlated to its antiradical activity. The proposed strategy shows that nucleophiles co-accumulated with GSH during the enrichment of YDs are responsible for their antioxidant activities.

Quantitation of Protein Cysteine-Phenol Adducts in Minced Beef Containing 4-Methyl Catechol

Thiol groups of cysteine (Cys) residues in proteins react with quinones, oxidation products of polyphenols, to form protein-polyphenol adducts. The aim of the present work was to quantify the amount of adduct formed between Cys residues and 4-methylcatechol (4MC) in minced beef. A Cys-4MC adduct standard was electrochemically synthesized and characterized by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) as well as NMR spectroscopy. Cys-4MC adducts were quantified after acidic hydrolysis of myofibrillar protein isolates (MPIs) and LC-MS/MS analysis of meat containing either 500 or 1500 ppm 4MC and stored at 4 °C for 7 days under a nitrogen or oxygen atmosphere. The concentrations of Cys-4MC were found to be 2.2 ± 0.3 nmol/mg MPI and 8.1 ± 0.9 nmol/mg MPI in meat containing 500 and 1500 ppm 4MC, respectively, and stored for 7 days under oxygen. The formation of the Cys-4MC adduct resulted in protein thiol loss, and ca. 62% of the thiol loss was estimated to account for the formation of the Cys-4MC adduct for meat containing 1500 ppm 4MC. Furthermore, protein polymerization increased in samples containing 4MC as evaluated by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), and the polymerization was found to originate from protein-polyphenol interactions as evaluated by a blotting assay with staining by nitroblue tetrazolium.

Molecular Characterization of White Wines Antioxidant Metabolome by Ultra High Performance Liquid Chromatography High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry

The knowledge about the molecular fraction contributing to white wines oxidative stability is still poorly understood. However, the role of S- and N-containing compounds, like glutathione and other peptides, as a source of reductant in many oxidation reactions, and acting against heavy metals toxicity, or lipid and polyphenol oxidation as ROS-scavenger is today very well established. In that respect, the aim of the present study is to introduce an original analytical tool for the direct determination of the available nucleophilic compounds in white wine under acidic pH conditions. One step derivatization of nucleophiles has been realized directly in wines using 4-methyl-1,2-benzoquinone (4MeQ) as an electrophilic probe. Derivatization conditions considering probe concentration, pH, reaction time, MS ionisation conditions and adducts stability, were optimized using model solutions containing standard sulfur and amino compounds (GSH, Cys, HCys and Ser-Aps-Cys-Asp-Ser, Asp-Met, Met and Glu). Ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to a quadrupole-time of flight mass spectrometer (UHPLC-QqTOF-MS) analysis of up to 92 white wines from different cultivars (Chardonnay, Sauvignon and Semillon) followed by Multivariate analysis (PLS DA) and Wilcoxon test allowed to isolate up to 141 putative wine relevant nucleophiles. Only 20 of these compounds, essentially thiols, were detectable in samples before derivatization, indicating the importance of the quinone trapping on the revelation of wine unknown nucleophiles. Moreover, annotation using online database (Oligonet, Metlin and KEGG) as well as elementary formula determined by isotopic profile, provided evidence of the presence of amino acids (Val, Leu, Ile, Pro, Trp, Cys and Met) and peptides with important antioxidant properties. The complimentary set of MS/MS spectral data greatly accelerated identification of nucleophiles and enabled peptides sequencing. These results show that probing wines with 4-methyl-1,2-benzoquinone enhances thiols ionisation capacity and gives a better screening of specific S- N- containing functional compounds as part of the white wines antioxidant metabolome.

Reactions of Quinones-Mechanisms, Structures, and Prospects for Food Research

Oxidation of plant phenolics leads to quinones, which are unstable intermediates that may react with nucleophiles. Quinones play an important role in the enzymatic browning of fruits and vegetables and may form covalent adducts with amino acids, peptides, and proteins. These reactions may alter both the physicochemical and immunological properties of food proteins. Quinones trap odoriferous compounds and contribute to the formation of aroma compounds through Strecker degradation of amino acids. Oxidative dimerization of chlorogenic acids in the presence of amino acids leads to the formation of green benzacridines, which are a promising alternative to chlorophylls as food colorants.

Formation of Hydrogen Sulfide in Wine: Interactions between Copper and Sulfur Dioxide

The combined synergistic effects of copper (Cu²⁺) and sulfur dioxide (SO₂) on the formation of hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) in Verdelho and Shiraz wine samples post-bottling was studied over a 12-month period. The combined treatment of Cu²⁺ and SO₂ significantly increased H₂S formation in Verdelho wines samples that were not previously treated with either Cu²⁺ or SO₂. The formation of H₂S produced through Cu²⁺ mediated reactions was likely either: (a) directly through the interaction of SO₂ with either Cu²⁺ or H₂S; or (b) indirectly through the interaction of SO₂ with other wine matrix compounds. To gain better understanding of the mechanisms responsible for the significant increases in H₂S concentration in the Verdelho samples, the interaction between Cu²⁺ and SO₂ was studied in a model wine matrix with and without the presence of a representative thiol quenching compound (4-methylbenzoquinone, 4MBQ). In these model studies, the importance of naturally occurring wine compounds and wine additives, such as quinones, SO₂, and metal ions, in modulating the formation of H₂S post-bottling was demonstrated. When present in equimolar concentrations a 1:1 ratio of H₂S- and SO₂-catechol adducts were produced. At wine relevant concentrations, however, only SO₂-adducts were produced, reinforcing that the competition reactions of sulfur nucleophiles, such as H₂S and SO₂, with wine matrix compounds play a critical role in modulating final H₂S concentrations in wines.

Identification of Rosmarinic Acid-Adducted Sites in Meat Proteins in a Gel Model under Oxidative Stress by Triple TOF MS/MS

Triple TOF MS/MS was used to identify adducts between rosmarinic acid (RosA)-derived quinones and meat proteins in a gel model under oxidative stress. Seventy-five RosA-modified peptides responded to 67 proteins with adduction of RosA. RosA conjugated with different amino acids in proteins, and His, Arg, and Lys adducts with RosA were identified for the first time in meat. A total of 8 peptides containing Cys, 14 peptides containing His, 48 peptides containing Arg, 64 peptides containing Lys, and 5 peptides containing N-termini that which participated in adduction reaction with RosA were identified, respectively. Seventy-seven adduction sites were subdivided into all adducted proteins including 2 N-terminal adduction sites, 3 Cys adduction sites, 4 His adduction sites, 29 Arg adduction sites, and 39 Lys adduction sites. Site occupancy analyses showed that approximately 80.597% of the proteins carried a single RosA-modified site, 14.925% retained two sites, 1.492% contained three sites, and the rest 2.985% had four or more sites. Large-scale triple TOF MS/MS mapping of RosA-adducted sites reveals the adduction regulations of quinone and different amino acids as well as the adduction ratios, which clarify phenol-protein adductions and pave the way for industrial meat processing and preservation.

Identification and quantification of adducts between oxidized rosmarinic acid and thiol compounds by UHPLC-LTQ-Orbitrap and MALDI-TOF/TOF tandem mass spectrometry

LTQ Orbitrap MS/MS was used to identify the adducts between quinones derived from rosmarinic acid (RosA) and thiol compounds, including cysteine (Cys), glutathione (GSH), and peptides digested from myosin. Two adducts of quinone-RosA/Cys and quinone-RosA/2Cys, one quinone-RosA/GSH adduct, and three quinone-RosA/peptide adducts were identified by extracted ion and MS(2) fragment ion chromatograms. By using MALDI-TOF/TOF MS, the adduction reaction between RosA and myosin in myofibrillar protein isolates was determined, demonstrating that the accurate reaction site was at Cys949 of myosin. The effect of reaction conditions, including stirring time, temperature, and oxidative stress, on the formation of adducts was further investigated. The formation of quinone-RosA/Cys and quinone-RosA/GSH increased with stirring time. Both adducts increased with temperature, whereas the reactivity of the addition reaction of GSH was higher than that of Cys. With increasing oxidation stress, the formation of quinone-RosA/GSH adduct increased and that of quinone-RosA/Cys adduct decreased.

Jack of all trades: versatile catechol crosslinking mechanisms

Catechols play an important role in many natural systems. They are known to readily interact with both organic (e.g., amino acids) and inorganic (e.g., metal ions, metal oxides) compounds, thereby providing a powerful system for protein curing. Catechol crosslinked protein networks, such as sclerotized cuticle and byssal threads of the mussel, have been shown to exhibit excellent mechanical properties. A lot of effort has been devoted to mimicking the natural proteins using synthetic catechol-functionalized polymers. Despite the success in developing catechol-functionalized materials, the crosslinking chemistry of catechols is still a subject of debate. To develop materials with controlled and superior properties, a clear understanding of the crosslinking mechanism of catechols is of vital importance. This review describes the crosslinking pathways of catechol and derivatives in both natural and synthetic systems. We discuss existing pathways of catechol crosslinking and parameters that affect the catechol chemistry in detail. This overview will point towards a rational direction for further investigation of the complicated catechol chemistry.

Measuring protection of aromatic wine thiols from oxidation by competitive reactions vs wine preservatives with ortho-quinones

Quinones are central intermediates in wine oxidation that can degrade the quality of wine by reactions with varietal thiols, such as 3-sulfanylhexanol, decreasing desirable aroma. Protection by wine preservatives (sulphur dioxide, glutathione, ascorbic acid and model tannin, phloroglucinol) was assessed by competitive sacrificial reactions with 4-methyl-1,2-benzoquinone, quantifying products and ratios by HPLC-UV-MS. Regioselectivity was assessed by product isolation and identification by NMR spectroscopy. Nucleophilic addition reactions compete with two electron reduction of quinones by sulphur dioxide or ascorbic acid, and both routes serve as effective quenching pathways, but minor secondary products from coupled redox reactions between the products and reactants are also observed. The wine preservatives were all highly reactive and thus all very protective against 3-sulfanylhexanol loss to the quinone, but showed only additive antioxidant effects. Confirmation of these reaction rates and pathways in wine is needed to assess the actual protective action of each tested preservative.

Effects of five metals on the evolution of hydrogen sulfide, methanethiol, and dimethyl sulfide during anaerobic storage of Chardonnay and Shiraz wines

The synergistic effects of Cu, Fe, Mn, Zn, and Al on the evolution of different volatile sulfur compounds (VSCs) in a Chardonnay and a Shiraz wine have been investigated. The evolution of H2S, MeSH, and DMS were influenced by metal addition, and in some instances, a combination of metals was responsible for the largest variation in the concentration of VSCs. The metals and metal combinations associated with significant changes in VSC concentrations in both Chardonnay and Shiraz samples after anaerobic storage were Cu, Fe, Zn, Al, Cu*Fe, Cu*Mn*Al, and Cu*Zn*Al for H2S; Cu, Zn, Fe*Mn, and Cu*Fe*Mn for MeSH; and Al and Zn*Al for DMS. The effect of Cu addition on the evolution of VSCs has previously been shown; however, this investigation has demonstrated that metals other than Cu could also be involved in the catalytic release of VSCs and that the interactions and combinations of metals are important. In some instances, the metal effect was reversed, associated with significant decreases during high oxygen conditions and with significant increases during low oxygen conditions.

Effect of metal chelators on the oxidative stability of model wine

Oxidation is a major problem with respect to wine quality, and winemakers have few tools at their disposal to control it. In this study, the effect of exogenous Fe(II) (bipyridine; Ferrozine) and Fe(III) chelators (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, EDTA; phytic acid) on nonenzymatic wine oxidation was examined. The ability of these chelators to affect the formation of 1-hydroxyethyl radicals (1-HER) and acetaldehyde was measured using a spin trapping technique with electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and by HPLC-PDA, respectively. The chelators were then investigated for their ability to prevent the oxidative loss of an important aroma-active thiol, 3-mercaptohexan-1-ol (3MH). The Fe(II)-specific chelators were more effective than the Fe(III) chelators with respect to 1-HER inhibition during the early stages of oxidation and significantly reduced oxidation markers compared to a control during the study. However, although the addition of Fe(III) chelators was less effective or even showed an initial pro-oxidant activity, the Fe(III) chelators proved to be more effective antioxidants compared to Fe(II) chelators after 8 days of accelerated oxidation. In addition, it is shown for the first time that Fe(II) and Fe(III) chelators can significantly inhibit the oxidative loss of 3MH in model wine.

Investigation of ethyl radical quenching by phenolics and thiols in model wine

In the present study, the reaction between 1-hydroxyethyl radicals (1-HER) and various wine-related phenolics and thiols, including gallic acid, caffeic acid, ferulic acid, 3-mercaptohexan-1-ol (3MH), cysteine (Cys), and glutathione (GSH), was studied using competitive spin trapping with electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and mass spectrometry. Previous studies have reported several important reactions occurring between quinones and other wine components, but the fate of 1-HER within the context of wine oxidation is less understood. Furthermore, the ability of these compounds to prevent formation of acetaldehyde, a known nonenzymatic oxidation product of ethanol, was measured. The hydroxycinnamic acids and thiol compounds tested at 5 mM concentrations significantly inhibited spin adduct formation, indicating their reactivity toward 1-HER. In addition, we confirm that loss of 3MH under model wine conditions is due to quinone trapping as well as 1-HER-induced oxidation.

A method to quantify quinone reaction rates with wine relevant nucleophiles: a key to the understanding of oxidative loss of varietal thiols

Quinones are key reactive electrophilic oxidation intermediates in wine. To address this question, the model 4-methyl-1,2-benzoquinone was prepared to study how it reacts with wine nucleophiles. Those investigated included the varietal volatile thiols 4-methyl-4-sulfanylpentan-2-one (4MSP), 3-sulfanylhexan-1-ol (3SH), and 2-furanmethanethiol (2FMT); hydrogen sulfide (H2S); glutathione (GSH); sulfur dioxide; ascorbic acid (AA); and the amino acids methionine (Met) and phenylalanine (Phe) in the first kinetic study of these reactions. Products were observed in fair to quantitative yields, but yields were negligible for the amino acids. The reaction rates of 4-methyl-1,2-benzoquinone toward the nucleophiles were quantified by UV-vis spectrometry monitoring the loss of the quinone chromophore. The observed reaction rates spanned three orders of magnitude, from the unreactive amino acids (Met and Phe) (KNu = 0.0002 s(-1)) to the most reactive nucleophile, hydrogen sulfide (KH2S = 0.4188 s(-1)). Analysis of the kinetic data showed three categories. The first group consisted of the amino acids (Met and Phe) having rates of essentially zero. Next, phloroglucinol has a low rate (KPhl = 0.0064 s(-1)). The next group of compounds includes the volatile thiols having increasing reactions rates K as steric inhibition declined (K4MSP = 0.0060 s(-1), K3SH = 0.0578 s(-1), and K2FMT = 0.0837 s(-1)). These volatile thiols (4MSP, 3SH, 2FMT), important for varietal aromas, showed lower K values than those of the third group, the wine antioxidant compounds (SO2, GSH, AA) and H2S (KNu = 0.3343-0.4188 s(-1)). The characterization of the reaction products between the nucleophiles and 4-methyl-1,2-benzoquinone was performed by using HPLC with high-resolution MS analysis. This study presents the first evidence that the antioxidant compounds, H2S, and wine flavanols could react preferentially with oxidation-induced quinones under specific conditions, providing insight into a mechanism for their protective effect.

Chemical interaction between polyphenols and a cysteinyl thiol under radical oxidation conditions

Chemical interaction between polyphenols and thiols was investigated under radical oxidation conditions using a model cysteinyl thiol derivative, N-benzoylcysteine methyl ester. The radical oxidation was carried out with a stoichiometric amount of 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), and the decreases in the amounts of polyphenols and the thiol were measured by HPLC analysis. Cross-coupling products between various polyphenols and the thiol were examined by LC-MS in reactions that showed decreases in both the polyphenols and the thiol. The LC-MS results indicated that three phenolic acid esters (methyl caffeate, methyl dihydrocaffeate, and methyl protocatechuate) and six flavonoids (kaempferol, myricetin, luteolin, morin, taxifolin, and catechin) gave corresponding thiol adducts, whereas three polyphenols (methyl ferulate, methyl sinapate, and quercetin) gave only dimers or simple oxidation products without thiol substituents. Thiol adducts of the structurally related compounds methyl caffeate and methyl dihydrocaffeate were isolated, and their chemical structures were determined by NMR analysis. The mechanism for the thiol addition was discussed on the basis of the structures of the products.