Mulberries are rich in a variety of antioxidant ingredients, such as vitamin C, vitamin E, anthocyanins and flavonoids. During the brewing process of mulberry wine, its antioxidant capacity will undergo a series of changes and is closely related to the brewing process.
After mulberries are picked, their cell structure is gradually destroyed, and the antioxidant ingredients begin to contact oxygen and undergo oxidation reactions. In the crushing process, the tissue of mulberries is crushed, and more antioxidant substances are dissolved, and the antioxidant capacity is improved to a certain extent. For example, after being fully mixed with juice, phenolic substances such as anthocyanins are more evenly distributed, which initially enhances the antioxidant activity of the system.
Entering the fermentation stage, the metabolic activity of yeast has a complex effect on antioxidant capacity. On the one hand, yeast consumes some oxygen during the fermentation process, which slows down the oxidation rate of antioxidant ingredients to a certain extent; on the other hand, the alcohol and some metabolites produced by fermentation may interact with antioxidant ingredients. For example, the gradual increase in alcohol concentration may affect the stability of phenolic substances such as anthocyanins, causing changes in the structure of some antioxidant ingredients, and then causing fluctuations in antioxidant capacity. When the fermentation temperature is too high, the chemical reaction rate will be accelerated, which may cause the degradation of antioxidant components and reduce the antioxidant capacity; while the appropriate low-temperature fermentation helps to maintain the stability of antioxidant components, so that mulberry wine maintains a relatively high antioxidant level during the fermentation process.
During the aging process, the antioxidant capacity continues to change. When aging in oak barrels, components such as tannins in the oak will dissolve into the wine, synergizing with the original antioxidant substances in mulberry wine to enhance the overall antioxidant capacity. At the same time, the slow oxidation and esterification reactions during the aging process will also change the existence form and proportion of antioxidant components, further affecting the antioxidant capacity. If the temperature and humidity of the aging environment are not properly controlled, or if the sealing is not good, resulting in excessive oxidation, the antioxidant components will be lost in large quantities and the antioxidant capacity will be significantly reduced.
In addition, the clarification and filtration processes during the brewing process will also affect the antioxidant capacity. Some traditional clarifiers may adsorb some antioxidant components, resulting in a slight reduction in antioxidant capacity; and if the new clarification technology can reduce the impact on antioxidant substances while removing impurities, it can better retain the antioxidant properties of mulberry wine.
