Characteristics and antioxidant capacities of five hawthorn wines fermented by different wine yeasts

Different yeast strains can influence the characteristics and active constituents of hawthorn wines. Hawthorn wines were produced using five different yeasts and characterized in terms of their profiles of typical properties and antioxidant capacities. The wine antioxidant capacities of 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2′-azino-bis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid, superoxide anion (O2 · –) scavenging activities and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) were determined. It was found that the general wine compositions showed the expected variations. Except for yeast Lalvin W15 all of the yeasts exhibited good sugar-utilizing ability and alcohol production. Yeast Lalvin 71B exhibited an excellent fermentation capability. Hawthorn wine fermented by yeast Lalvin 71B had the lowest residual sugar, titratable acidity and colour density and the highest alcohol content. SIHA Active Yeast 3 had good performance in respect to oxidation resistance. The highest content of anthocyanins and polyphenols in the wine was found with hawthorn wine fermented by SIHA Active Yeast 3, and this wine contained the highest antioxidant activity as determined by the DPPH assay, O2 · – assay and FRAP. Statistical analysis indicated that pH value was significantly correlated with colour density (−0.954**) and alcohol content (0.905**) in the hawthorn wines. There was a strong positive correlation between the polyphenol content and the antioxidant activity as determined by the DPPH (0.915**) and FRAP (0.914**) assays, respectively.