Musts with an increased content of lignans from added spruce knot chips

Red and white musts were enriched with the lignan hydroxymatairesinol, which is the main lignan contained in spruce knots. Chips from the milled spruce knots were then used to enrich grape musts. After enrichment, the musts were stored and samples were taken in 1, 5, 9, and 12 months. The samples were subjected to a variety of analyses and sensory evaluations. Analyses included hydroxymatairesinol and alpha-conidendrin content, antioxidant activity (determined by the FRAP method), content of total polyphenols, sensory evaluation (intensity of woody aroma, intensity of bitterness and astringent taste, and consumer acceptability), and must antimutagenicity. The analysis of variance allowed predicting which factors such as grape type, quantity of added wood chips, sugar addition, method of preservation, and storage time had the most significant influence on the analytical parameters (lignan content, antioxidant activity, and total polyphenol content). In all cases lignan content in the musts was significantly influenced by the addition of spruce wood chips. Total polyphenol content in the musts was significantly affected by the type of musts and by heat treatment (time of thermomaceration). Evaluation of must antimutagenicity showed that all samples, except the sample of white musts after thermomaceration without holding at temperature and without adding chips (10 g/20 kg mash), inhibited mutagenicity.