Effect of ultrasonic pretreatment on color stability and phenolic composition of aronia fruit wine during processing and aging

Color stability is a key factor limiting the quality of Aronia melanocarpa fruit wine. Therefore, improving the color stability and shortening the fermentation and aging periods of fruit wine have attracted increasing attention. This study investigated the effects of ultrasonic pretreatment with different intensities (high, medium, and low) on the color indices (color intensity (CI), lightness, red-green value, yellow-blue value, total color difference) and phenolic components during the fermentation and 60-day aging process of the wine. Among them, high-intensity ultrasonic treatment (600 W/50 °C/30 min) maximized the extraction of anthocyanins, with an extraction rate 87.4 % higher than that of traditional extraction and 7 % higher than that of enzymatic hydrolysis, and enhanced the color intensity after fermentation (the CI value was 23.2 % higher than that of the juice after fermentation). Meanwhile, medium–intensity ultrasonic treatment (420 W, 50 °C/30 min) yielded the best aging performance, with higher levels of tannins, kaempferol, and quercetin observed (anthocyanin retention rate was 61.81 %, CI increased by 5.29 %; in the control group, anthocyanin retention rate was 55.00 %, CI decreased by 20.1 %). Correlation analysis showed that anthocyanins, flavonoids, tannins, and ellagic acid were positively correlated with CI. In conclusion, ultrasonic pretreatment altered phenolic composition, increased pigment content, and enhanced color stability, providing a theoretical basis for the optimization of wine processing technology.