Application of multivariate analysis for distilled alcoholic beverages characterization based on determination of volatile compounds by chromatography techniques

• Grant number: 06/01343-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: June 01, 2006
• End date: November 30, 2008
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Analytical Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: Jorge Cesar Masini
• Grantee: Jose Carlos Pires Penteado
• Host Institution: Instituto de Química (IQ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Alcoholic beverages have been extensively studied as a consequence of the social impacts caused by their excessive consume, although some minoritary compounds can also contribute to aggravate the public health problem because of their high toxicity. This problem increases with the fake or adulteration of alcoholic beverages, aggravating the risks to the health of the consumers. This proposal aims to classify and to differentiate spirits using chemometric techniques of principal components and cluster analysis. This evaluation will be carried on by the quantification of chemical compounds that can be produced in the manufacture of spirits such as carbonyls, alcohols and esters, among other volatile compounds. A goal of this project is to investigate the components that can classify and differentiate spirits using the so-called molecular markers, aiming to provide subsides for standardization control. The development of analytical methodologies for determination of carbonyl compounds aims to increase the sensitivity and speed, as well as to minimize the generation of toxic residues in relation to present methods available for determination of these compounds.