GC-FID-MS Based Metabolomics to Access Plum Brandy Quality

Plum brandy (Slivovitz (en); Šljivovica(sr)) is an alcoholic beverage that is increasingly consumed all over the world. Its quality assessment has become of great importance. In our study, the main volatiles and aroma compounds of 108 non-aged plum brandies originating from three plum cultivars, and fermented using different conditions, were investigated. The chemical profiles obtained after two-step GC-FID-MS analysis were subjected to multivariate data analysis to reveal the peculiarity in different cultivars and fermentation process. Correlation of plum brandy chemical composition with its sensory characteristics obtained by expert commission was also performed. The utilization of PCA and OPLS-DA multivariate analysis methods on GC-FID-MS, enabled discrimination of brandy samples based on differences in plum varieties, pH of plum mash, and addition of selected yeast or enzymes during fermentation. The correlation of brandy GC-FID-MS profiles with their sensory properties was achieved by OPLS multivariate analysis. Proposed workflow confirmed the potential of GC-FID-MS in combination with multivariate data analysis that can be applied to assess the plum brandy quality.

Impact of plum processing on the quality and oxidative stability of cold-pressed kernel oil

Plum kernels of the “Čačanska rodna” variety, by-products from plum brandy production, were collected before and after fermentation and distillation, and used for cold-pressed oil production. Fatty acid and tocopherol contents were determined by capillary GC and HPLC, while the oxidation stability of the resulting cold-pressed oils was tested by the Rancimat method. The results showed that oleic fatty acid was dominant in the oil samples with a content of 56.6 to 61.8%, regardless of the plum kernels’ origin. The fermentation and distillation processes had a pronounced effect on the tocopherol content and oxidative stability of the resulting kernel oils. Tocopherol contents were 61.8 mg·100g-1, 87.4 mg·100g-1, 79.6 mg·100g-1 of oil, while the induction periods were 38.7, 44.4 and 33.6 hours for samples before fermentation, after fermentation and distillation, respectively. Based on the results, it could be concluded that the fermentation process increased the content of tocopherols in kernel oil whereas the high temperature during the distillation process adversely affected the tocopherol content and oxidative stability of the obtained kernel oil.

A SPIRIT IN THE SERVICE OF THE NATION

The thesis of the article is that slivovitz or plum brandy (slivovka in Slovene) played an important role in the reproduction of Yugoslav banal nationalism. It reminded Yugoslavs on a daily basis that they were members of a particular national community. The article is based on an analysis of texts containing the word slivovka that appeared in Delo, Slovenia’s newspaper of record, in the period 1959–91 and Delo’s predecessors Slovenski poročevalec and Ljudska pravica in the period 1945–59.

Aqua vitae – Notes on Geographies of Alcohol Production and Consumption in the Ottoman Balkans

The paper addresses the beginning of brandy distillation in the Ottoman Balkan, the transfer of technology, commerce and taxation, as well as patterns of consumption. Those patterns include rules of alcohol production, distribution and use according to religion, class and gender, i.e. restrictions and their transgressions. Linguistic, documentary and narrative sources are deployed in building a multifaceted picture. Production of various spirits, foremost plum brandy in the Ottoman Balkans, and the usage of alcohol drinks could be viewed as an area where private and public, official and clandestine, permitted and forbidden mixed and coexisted, and influenced Ottoman political and religious system.

Development and validation of LC-MS/MS method with multiple reactions monitoring mode for quantification of vanillin and syringaldehyde in plum brandies

An ultra-performance liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (UPLC-QqQ-MS/MS) method with multiple reactions monitoring mode (MRM) has been developed and validated for quantification of vanillin and syringaldehyde in plum brandy. The method showed good linearity (0.05 to 10 mgL?1) and low limits of detection and quantification (LOD and LOQ were 11.6 ?gL?1 and 38.2 ?gL?1 for vanillin, and 12.7 ?gL?1 and 42.0 ?gL?1 for syringaldehyde, respectively). The overall intra-day and inter-day variations were less than 4.21%, and the overall recovery over 93.0%. The correlation coefficients (R2) of the calibration curves were higher than 0.9999. In order to evaluate if the method is suitable for use as a routine analytical tool, in 31 Serbian plum brandy samples vanillin and syringaldehide were determined.

A Survey on the Methanol Content of Home Distilled Alcoholic Beverages in Transylvania (Romania)

Objective: Methanol appears in relatively high concentrations in alcoholic beverages obtained from fermented fruits distillates. These products are traditionally home made in many regions in Romania and other EU countries. The chronic use of products with high methanol concentration can be considered a health risk. The purpose of this work was to measure methanol concentration in a Romanian region where brandy-type alcoholic products are made from different fruits (plum, apple, pear, grapes), and to observe if there is a type of product that contains more methanol than the others. Methods: The content of methanol in the tested alcoholic beverages was determined using a gas chromatographic method. Results: Only 18% of the tested 56 samples met UE regulation regarding methanol content of alcoholic beverages (0.4% in alcoholic drinks containing 40% ethanol). The highest concentration of 2.39% was found in a plum brandy. Plum brandies contained significantly higher amounts of methanol than brandies made from other fruits (0.91 vs 0.52%, p = 0.01). Conclusions: Home distilled alcoholic beverages obtained from fruits are a health threat due to their high methanol content. Strict regulations and tests should be introduced for such products

Phenotypic diversity of autochthonous European (Prunus domestica L.) and Damson (Prunus insititia L.) plum accessions based on multivariate analysis

Forty-three European (Prunus domestica L.) and twelve Damson (P. insititia L.) plum accessions originating from different and important growing regions in former Yugoslavia were studied to assess the overall degree of polymorphism, detect similarities among accessions and assess important agronomic, fruit quality and sensorial traits. Twenty variables were scored and subjected to multivariate analysis. Results showed a considerable phenotypic diversity among plum germplasm. A high correlation was found among some evaluated variables. Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that traits related to fruit weight, yield and soluble solids content accounted for a large proportion of the observed variability. Accessions Bela Požegača, Crvena Ranka Bardaklija, Mudara, Požegača, Car Dušan, Julka, Turgonja and Crna Petrovka cvs are recommended for fresh consumption, while Požegača, Korajka, Bosanka and Bilska Rana cvs are recommended for drying. Most of accessions can be used for processing, particularly into plum brandy, whereas some can be used as rootstocks.