PREPARATION AND QUALITY ANALYSIS OF YACON (Smallanthus sonchifolius) BASED HERBAL WINE

Abstract

Wines were prepared by fermenting yacon juice, yacon pulp and yacon syrup musts maintained at 24°Bx TSS, 3.8 ± 0.1 pH and 100 ppm SO2 for 20 days at 26 ± 2°C temperature. The wines were analyzed for their chemical and sensory characteristics and the best wine was selected. Sarpaganda (R. serpentina) and Pakhanbed (B. ciliata) root powders were separately added to the yacon juice must at the rate of 10 g/L, and effects of herbs addition on the chemical and sensory properties of yacon juice wine were studied. Results showed that the total and fixed acidities were maximum in yacon syrup wine (0.86 and 0.72%, m/v as lactic acid) compared to yacon juice and pulp wines. No significant difference in TSS was found among yacoon wines. Antioxidant activity was highest in yaon syrup wine (89.83%), while it was lowest in yacon pulp wine (42.44%). Total phenolics content was more than 2-fold in yacon syrup wine (86.5 mg GAE/100 ml) compared to yacon juice and pulp wines. Yacon juice wine had significantly higher alcohol content (12.5%, v/v) than those of others. Total esters, total aldehydes and higher alcohol contents of the three wines ranged from 46.36 to 55.05 g ethyl acetate/100 L alc, 0.21 to 0.29 g acetaldehyde/100 L alc) and 17.0 to 22 mg/100 ml wine respectively. Methanol contents did differ among the wines (0.00155 ± 0.00015%, m/v). Sensory evaluation showed that wine made from yacon juice had relatively better sensory quality of all the wines. Chemical analysis showed that herbs addition had no significant effect on pH, TSS, fructose and volatile acidity of yacon juice wines. Pakhanbed added wine had significantly higher total phenolic content (103.5 mg GAE/100 ml) compared to control wine (42.7) and Sarpaganda added wine (47.1). Total reducing sugars (mg% as glucose) was lowest in yacon juice wine (115.7) compared to Pakhanbed (243.9) and Sarpaganda (251.4) added yacon juice wines. Addition of herbs had no significant effect (p<0.05) on alcohol, total esters, total aldehydes, fusel oil and methanol contents of yacon juice wine. Addition of Pakhanbed significantly enhanced the antioxidant activity of wine. Sensory evaluation indicated that Pakhanbed added yacon juice wine had higher sensory preference scores of all the wines evaluated. Therefore, addition of Pakhanbed at the rate of 5 g/L of yacon juice must could significantly enhance the medicinal value of wine without significantly affecting its chemical and sensory properties.