In this study, persimmons, which are rich in various nutrients and bioactive compounds, were used as the raw material for wine production. Persimmon wine was produced by inoculating with Saccharomyces cerevisiae and fermenting the mixture at 30 °C for seven days. During this process, we analyzed changes in physicochemical properties, organic acids, free sugars, ethanol, methanol, free amino acids, total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), and antioxidant activities. Over the seven-day fermentation period, soluble solids decreased from 16.27 °Brix to 5.57 °Brix, pH declined from 5.93 to 4.90, and total acidity increased from 0.12% to 0.41%. Succinic, lactic, and acetic acids were identified as major organic acids, while glucose and fructose were depleted after six days of fermentation. The ethanol concentration reached 7.93% on day seven, while methanol increased to 0.050%. The free amino acid content decreased as fermentation progressed. The TPC and TFC increased significantly. Antioxidant capacity increased, as observed from DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP assay results. These results suggest that alcohol fermentation of raw persimmons induces significant changes in key quality-related components and enhances antioxidant activity. Overall, the findings provide valuable foundational data supporting the industrial application of persimmon wine.

Sowon Jang, Hyun-Il Jun, HyeonHwa Oh, Do-Youn Jeong, and Geun-Seoup Song. Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition 2021;50:522-30. https://doi.org/10.3746/jkfn.2021.50.5.522

The correlation between fermented vinegar’s physicochemical properties and functional characteristics, particularly skin-related functionalities, remains unclear. We analyzed the quality of widely consumed Korean fermented vinegars, including grain and persimmon vinegars, and their correlation with skin-related functionalities to establish quality control criteria linked to functional properties. Fifteen traditional Korean grain vinegars and fourteen persimmon vinegars were collected; distilled white vinegar was used as the control group. Grain vinegars showed 3.57–100.00% collagenase and 62.38–77.03% tyrosinase inhibition; persimmon vinegars showed 0.00–94.50% and 30.75–71.54%, respectively. To determine which quality characteristics are high in fermented vinegar with high skin-related functionality, a correlation analysis was conducted. In grain vinegar, total nitrogen and free amino acids were strongly associated with skin-related functionalities. In persimmon vinegar, organic acids, particularly lactic acid, were correlated with skin-related effects; thus, both demonstrated the importance of quality assessment. Insights into relationships between the composition and functional properties of fermented vinegar were gained. Specific quality markers for managing skin-related functionality of Korean fermented vinegar established a scientific basis for standardizing quality control, developing high-value functional vinegar products, and ensuring consistent product quality.

This study investigated the content of marker compounds, antioxidant components, and antioxidant activities of butterbur (Petasites japonicus) extracts depending on harvest time. The marker compounds protocatechuic acid, caffeic acid, 3,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid, and bakkenolide B were found to be most abundant in extracts obtained in July using 70% ethanol, with concentrations of 0.85, 1.89, 4.37, and 15.13 mg/g, respectively. Conversely, the content of these marker compounds in the extracts obtained with 95% ethanol was lower than that of the 70% ethanol extracts. In addition, the total polyphenol and total flavonoid contents were highest in the July extracts obtained with 70% ethanol, measuring 41.91 μg/mg and 23.73 μg/mg, respectively. The antioxidant activity revealed that the DPPH radical scavenging activity was highest in the May extracts obtained with 70% ethanol, exhibiting a value of 74.76% at a concentration of 5 mg/mL. In contrast, the ABTS radical scavenging activity was highest in the July extracts obtained with 70% ethanol, at 33.48% at the same concentration. These findings suggest that the extraction of butterbur harvested in July with 70% ethanol is the most effective condition for producing high-functional extracts.

This study evaluated the effect of acetic acid fermentation added to coffee concentrate using the concentrate of fermented coffee bean ethanol extract. The ethanol concentration that can extract a high content of coffee’s active ingredients (caffeine, chlorogenic acid) was 50% (v/v). The ethanol extract from coffee was concentrated to a solid content of 7.94% (w/v) and added at a concentration of 7-10% to prepared coffee liquor containing 6% ethanol. Additionally, 20% seed vinegar was introduced to initiate acetic acid fermentation. During the fermentation period of coffee vinegar with different concentrations of coffee extracts (CVCE1-CVCE4) lasting 30 days, the viable cell counts, physicochemical properties (soluble solid contents, pH, and total acidity), organic acids, free sugars, and ethanol content were measured. The number of viable cells was 4.50-7.33 log CFU/mL on the 10th day of fermentation, and the growth of bacteria tended to decrease as the content of coffee solids increased. As acetic acid fermentation progresses, the ABTS and DPPH radical scavenging activities of coffee vinegar decreased, while pancreatic lipase inhibition activity increased. The analysis showed that the amount of coffee extract concentrate added affects the fermentation characteristics of acetic acid bacteria, resulting in a difference in the functionality of coffee vinegar.

This study evaluated the effect of acetic acid fermentation added to coffee concentrate using the concentrate of fermented coffee bean ethanol extract. The ethanol concentration that can extract a high content of coffee’s active ingredients (caffeine, chlorogenic acid) was 50% (v/v). The ethanol extract from coffee was concentrated to a solid content of 7.94% (w/v) and added at a concentration of 7-10% to prepared coffee liquor containing 6% ethanol. Additionally, 20% seed vinegar was introduced to initiate acetic acid fermentation. During the fermentation period of coffee vinegar with different concentrations of coffee extracts (CVCE1-CVCE4) lasting 30 days, the viable cell counts, physicochemical properties (soluble solid contents, pH, and total acidity), organic acids, free sugars, and ethanol content were measured. The number of viable cells was 4.50-7.33 log CFU/mL on the 10th day of fermentation, and the growth of bacteria tended to decrease as the content of coffee solids increased. As acetic acid fermentation progresses, the ABTS and DPPH radical scavenging activities of coffee vinegar decreased, while pancreatic lipase inhibition activity increased. The analysis showed that the amount of coffee extract concentrate added affects the fermentation characteristics of acetic acid bacteria, resulting in a difference in the functionality of coffee vinegar.