Influence of yeasts and aging on the accumulation of flavor components in Rosa roxburghii Tratt wine

Abstract

Rosa roxburghii Tratt (RRT) is rich in nutrients, but lacks the desirable flavor required for direct consumption as a traditional fruit in China. This work compared the flavor improvement of polyphenols and aromas in Rosa roxburghii Tratt wine by yeasts and aging. After fermentation, the total content of volatiles significantly increased, primarily due to a rise in 3-methyl-1-butanol (at least 32.1 ×10³ μg/L, OAV > 10.9), while (E)-3-hexen-1-ol, and (Z)-3-hexen-1-ol significantly decreased (OAV < 2.67, both dropped below 20 %). D254 yeast group effectively reduced the formation of undesirable volatiles while highlighting fruity aroma characteristics. For polyphenols, significant improvements were found in BV818 yeast group (476 ×10³ μg/L) and mixed fermentation group (473 ×10³ μg/L); fermentation of D254 group presented a lower content of major astringent flavanols. During aging, a considerable loss of aroma was observed in the BV818 group, but the aroma profiles of the D254 and mixed fermentation groups improved significantly, mainly due to the increase in esters. There was a potential correlation between the polyphenol matrix and volatiles. The low flavonols composition appeared to be more conducive for the formation of fatty acid esters during aging. Seven flavonols may serve as important indicators for this process, including quercetin-glucuronide, quercetin-rhamnoside, taxifolin, kaempferol, kaempferol rutinoside, kaempferide, and salicylic acid.