Immobilization of glucose-oxidase for oenological application to obtain wines with low alcohol content

New and innovative aspects

Technological processes that are used to eliminate or reduce alcohol in wine require intensive practices and equipment that are not available to all wineries. As a generalisation, these processes tend to involve expensive equipment and the sensory quality of the wine is not always satisfactory. An alternative biotechnological approach is to use glucose oxidase (GOX) immobilized in solid support. The enzyme immobilization technique allows manipulation of the characteristics of enzyme catalysis and becoming active at the acidic pH of must. Furthermore, the operational stability of the enzymes is improved, as well as reuse and the ability to operate continuously.

Main advantages of its use

The use of soluble enzymes in wine processing presents several advantages as such reaction specificity, mild operating conditions and without contaminant effects (green technology). Nevertheless, in spite of the unquestionable advantages, there exist a number of practical problems in the use of soluble glucose-oxidase in the must such as their inactivation at the acidic pH conditions or their high cost. Immobilizing the enzyme on solid supports allows the modification of its catalytic properties (optimum pH), higher stability, prevention of contamination of the processed product, the reuse of catalytic activity, and the possibility of processing in continuous.

Specifications

The wine industry has developed and evaluated different strategies to reduce the ethanol content in wine mantaining a good quality of the final product. An biotechnological alternative is the treatment of must with glucose oxidase to reduce its fermentable sugar content, thereby reducing the ethanol content in the final product of fermentation without altering its quality parameters. However, the activity of the glucose-oxidase is reduced to the wort pH values. In this sense, it is developping the preparation of immobilized glucose oxidase active and stable to acidic pH values, with good operational stability, as well as with favorable mechanical and chemical properties that allow their reuse, and its application in winemaking low alcohol content.

Applications

This technique is aimed at the Food sector, especially for those wine producing companies.

Desired business relationship

Commercial Agreement, License Agreement, Technical Cooperation: further development; Technical Cooperation: testing new applications; Technical Cooperation: adaptation to specific needs.