Biorefinery of red wine processing residues using pulsed electric field technology for the extraction of functional food ingredients

• Grant number: 24/15129-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate (Direct)
• Start date: October 01, 2024
• End date: February 29, 2028
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Food Science and Technology - Food Engineering
• Principal Investigator: Eric Keven Silva
• Grantee: Rafaela Oliveira Neto
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Engenharia de Alimentos (FEA). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 20/11255-3 - Pulsed electric field: design of non-thermal processes, functional foods and biomaterials, AP.JP

Abstract

Brazil has emerged as a significant consumer and producer of wine, and along with the increased production, there has been a high generation of waste. Winery waste is becoming increasingly relevant from both environmental and economic perspectives. Grape pomace, a byproduct resulting from the crushing stage, is composed of skin, pulp, and seeds and has a high content of phenolic compounds and polysaccharides. During the fermentation of the must, lees are obtained, a microbial biomass rich in inactive yeast. The utilization of waste from red wine processing can lead to the development of new products and opportunities from a byproduct that is usually discarded, in addition to promoting sustainability. Due to the availability of phenolic compounds, polysaccharides, and proteins, this project aims to fully utilize the solid waste from red wine processing by integrating Pulsed Electric Field (PEF) technology into the byproduct processing chain to obtain new ingredients for food production. PEF will be applied for electroporation of the plant matrix present in the pomace to enhance the extraction of phenolic compounds and cellulose. The technology will also be used to assist in the extraction process of mannoproteins and beta-glucan, which are part of the inactive yeast present in the lees. Finally, PEF-assisted complexation processes between phenolic compounds and the other obtained biopolymers (cellulose, mannoprotein, and beta-glucan) will be investigated, focusing on the development of new functional food ingredients.