The Effect of Dicarboxymethyl Cellulose on the Prevention of Protein Haze Formation on White Wine

Abstract

Wine clarity is a critical aspect in the commercialization of white wines. The formation of wine haze can be attributed to the aggregation and precipitation of heat-unstable wine proteins. Bentonite fining is the commonly used method in winemaking for protein removal, but it is responsible for loss of wine volume and quality. Dicarboxymethyl cellulose (DCMC) was developed as a potential alternative to bentonite. Water-insoluble DCMC was prepared via catalyzed heterogeneous etherification using sodium chloromalonate and potassium iodide. White wine fining trials were benchmarked with different dosages of DCMC against a bentonite. A high-performance liquid chromatography method was optimized for protein quantification. The samples underwent heat stability tests to evaluate wine turbidity before and after fining. Results show that DCMC successfully reduced the wine protein content and turbidity. DCMC produced heat-stable wines with dosages higher than 0.25 g/L. The innovative application of DCMC in the wine sector shows potential due to its ability to stabilize white wines while overcoming problems associated with bentonite, such as lees production and loss of wine, contributing to a more sustainable process.

Protein Adsorption Performance of a Novel Functionalized Cellulose-Based Polymer

“…Therefore, the cellulose was successfully functionalized. A comprehensive assignment of the absorption peaks to the respective functional groups has been previously described by Gago, Chagas and Ferreira [ 30 ].…”

“…DCMC was prepared following a procedure previously reported [ 30 ]. Briefly, the preparation of DCMC includes the mercerization of cellulose in a sodium hydroxide solution followed by etherification with one molar equivalent of sodium chloromalonate ( Figure 1 ).…”

“…DCMC is a cellulose-based polymer recently developed by this research group [ 29 , 30 ]. This polymer is produced by heterogeneous etherification of cellulose with a β-halomalonate under mild conditions.…”

“…Its degree of substitution (DS), similarly to other cellulose derivatives such as carboxymethyl cellulose, will influence water solubility and its adsorption performance. An increasing number of carboxylate groups provides additional adsorption binding sites; however, it also increases water solubility [ 30 ]. Therefore, a compromise must be achieved to produce a suitable water-insoluble polymer with high adsorption capacity.…”

“…Therefore, a compromise must be achieved to produce a suitable water-insoluble polymer with high adsorption capacity. DCMC is a promising adsorbent that has already been tested for different applications, including dye removal [ 31 ] and white wine clarification [ 30 , 32 ].…”