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White wine continuous protein stabilization by packed column.
Vesselina Pashova1, Carme Güell, Francisco López
1Departament d'Enginyeria Química, Universitat Rovira i Virgili. Centre de Referència de Tecnologia d'Aliments (CeRTA) de la Generalitat de Catalunya. Unitat d'Enologia. Facultat d'Enologia C/Ramón y Cajal 70, 43005 Tarragona Catalunya, Spain.
Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
|March 20, 2004
Summary
This study demonstrates that zirconium oxide effectively stabilizes white wine by removing proteins. Powdered zirconium oxide, especially after regeneration, is most effective at preventing haze without altering wine
Area of Science:
- Enology
- Materials Science
Background:
- Protein stabilization is crucial for white wine quality.
- Unstable proteins can cause haze, negatively impacting wine appearance and stability.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of zirconium oxide in a continuous process for white wine protein stabilization.
- To compare the performance of powdered and pelletized zirconium oxide.
- To assess the impact of heat regeneration on zirconium oxide's adsorption capacity.
Main Methods:
- A continuous flow column system packed with powdered or pelletized zirconium oxide was used.
- White wine was treated through the column.
- Protein levels and profiles were analyzed before and after treatment.
- Heat regeneration of zirconium oxide was performed and its effect evaluated.
Main Results:
- Both powdered and pelletized zirconium oxide significantly reduced total proteins (50-70%).
- Powdered zirconium oxide, particularly after heat regeneration, showed the highest efficiency in preventing protein haze.
- Heat regeneration enhanced the adsorption capacity of both zirconium oxide forms.
- Specific protein fractions (20-50 kDa and 50-70 kDa) were preferentially removed.
- Proteins >70 kDa appear to influence instability, while the 15 kDa fraction does not.
Conclusions:
- Zirconium oxide is a viable material for continuous white wine protein stabilization.
- Powdered zirconium oxide offers superior performance, especially when regenerated.
- The treatment effectively removes haze-forming proteins without negatively impacting wine's physicochemical properties.