Capillary Electrophoresis in Wine Science

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Food Science
• Enology

Background:

• Wine is a complex matrix of natural chemicals derived from grape extraction and fermentation.
• Ethanol, organic acids, sugars, polyphenols, and proteins are key wine constituents.
• Capillary electrophoresis (CE) offers a robust method for analyzing these diverse compounds.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review methodologies for capillary electrophoresis in wine analysis.
• To highlight CE applications in polyphenol profiling and protein analysis.
• To demonstrate CE's utility in assessing wine quality and enological factors.

Main Methods:

• Capillary electrophoresis (CE) for separation and quantification of wine components.
• Methodological considerations for effective CE application in complex wine matrices.
• Specific CE protocols for polyphenol and protein analysis.

Main Results:

• CE successfully quantifies ethanol and separates various compound families (organic acids, sugars, polyphenols, proteins).
• Polyphenol analysis via CE provides quantitative data crucial for wine quality and antioxidant properties.
• Protein profiling using CE offers insights into vineyard/grape microbiota and enological practices.

Conclusions:

• Capillary electrophoresis is a versatile and reliable technique for comprehensive wine analysis.
• CE applications extend from quality control (polyphenols) to research (protein profiling).
• This technique supports a deeper understanding of wine chemistry and its influencing factors.