Enzymatic Wine Alcohol Reduction via Glucose Oxidase and Isomerase
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Solution Overview
Problem
High ethanol levels in wine due to increased sugar content in grapes, resulting from global warming, lead to undesirable sensorial quality and tax classification issues, with existing methods like reverse osmosis and dilution being unsatisfactory and costly.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the use of glucose oxidase and glucose isomerase enzymes to treat unfermented grape juice, converting glucose into gluconic acid and fructose into glucose, thereby reducing sugar content and maintaining a glucose/fructose ratio of 1:1, which decreases alcohol levels and prevents stuck fermentations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If glucose oxidase is used to convert glucose into gluconic acid, then alcohol content is reduced, but the glucose/fructose ratio becomes unbalanced causing stuck fermentations
Solution Approach 1:
Glucose isomerase is introduced as an intermediary enzyme that converts fructose into glucose, which then serves as substrate for glucose oxidase. This mediator enzyme balances the glucose/fructose ratio while enabling continued alcohol production reduction, preventing stuck fermentations by maintaining yeast nutrition.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the chemical composition parameters of the grape juice by introducing glucose isomerase to convert fructose to glucose, thereby altering the glucose/fructose ratio from unbalanced to balanced (1:1), which resolves the stuck fermentation issue while maintaining alcohol reduction benefits.
2Quantity of substance
If conventional methods like reverse osmosis are used to reduce alcohol content, then alcohol levels are lowered, but sensorial quality deteriorates and cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces mechanical/physical separation methods (reverse osmosis) with biochemical enzymatic conversion. Glucose oxidase and glucose isomerase catalyze chemical reactions to convert sugars to gluconic acid and rebalance sugar ratios, achieving alcohol reduction without the high costs and quality degradation associated with membrane separation technologies.
3Quantity of substance
If glucose oxidase is used to reduce sugar content, then alcohol content decreases, but sensorial quality is adversely affected
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the chemical parameters by using glucose isomerase to convert fructose to glucose, maintaining a balanced 1:1 glucose/fructose ratio. This parameter adjustment ensures that sugar removal through glucose oxidase does not create unbalanced compositions that would harm sensorial quality, preserving wine characteristics while reducing alcohol.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Significantly reduces alcohol content in wine, maintaining the wine's quality and preventing stuck fermentations, with the enzyme treatment allowing for the production of wines with desired lower alcohol levels without adverse effects on taste or bouquet.
Implementation Method 1
treating unfermented grape juice with glucose oxidase... converting glucose in the grape juice into gluconic acid
Implementation Method 2
converting glucose in the grape juice into gluconic acid... in the presence of oxygen
Implementation Method 3
addition of glucose isomerase... convert at least a portion of the fructose in the grape juice into glucose
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
A method for production of a wine with lower content of alcohol involving treating unfermented grape juice with glucose oxidase and glucose isomerase.