Spirit drinks: a source of dietary polyphenols

Abstract

There is a long tradition in the production of spirit drinks and using them in the human diet, especially in the Southeast European and Mediterranean regions. The objective of this study was to evaluate whether and which spirits can serve, and to what extent, as a source of biologically active compounds in the human diet. Polyphenolic compounds are biologically active compounds of fruits, vegetables and derived beverages, which have been implicated in their antioxidant activity. Therefore, the total polyphenol content (TPC) and antioxidative properties of 46 spirit drinks and liqueurs produced in Croatia were examined. The total polyphenol content and antioxidant activity were estimated using spectrophotometric methods (Folin-Ciocalteu, DPPH and FRAP), while certain phenols were detected by the HPLC. It was established that spirit drinks aged in wooden casks, such as wine or plum brandy, contain polyphenols ranging from 40-90 mg GAE/L (gallic acid equivalents), whereas walnut or sour cherry liquors contain much more polyphenols ranging from 680-3360 mg GAE/L. The antioxidant activity of analyzed spirit drinks was in correlation with TPC. Walnut and sour cherry liqueur samples had very high antioxidant activity, within the range of those obtained with 1.26 mM Trolox-DPPH assay and 9.5 mM Trolox-FRAP assay.