title: Use of microfungi in the treatment of oak chips: possible effects on wine.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Oak barrels are commonly used in the aging of wines and spirits because of their positive effects on the product. In recent years the addition of oak chips has been used to introduce desirable wood aromas and flavours into wines. In this study, oak chips in saline solution or laboratory medium were inoculated with Penicillium purpurogenum, Aureobasidium pullulans, Phialemonium obovatum, Phanerochaete chrysosporium and a combination of Ph. chrysosporium and A. pullulans. After 12 weeks of incubation, oak chips (2 g L(-1)) were macerated in a red wine for 17 days. Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry and high-performance liquid chromatography were used to evaluate 14 compounds, namely furfural, furfuryl alcohol, guaiacol, syringol, cis-β-methyl-γ-octalactone, 2-phenylethanol, 4-vinylguaiacol, benzyl alcohol, 2,3-butanediol, γ-butyrolactone, benzaldehyde, 4-ethylguaiacol, gallic acid and ellagic acid.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The microfungal treatments increased the concentration of some components. In particular, P. purpurogenum resulted in a significant improvement in the levels of guaiacol, furfural, syringol, furfuryl alcohol and 2-phenylethanol.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Penicillium purpurogenum and Ph. chrysosporium showed a constant trend (enrichment of furfural and benzaldehyde) independent to some extent of the medium used for chip treatment.
authors: Department of Food Science, Faculty of Agricultural Science, University of Foggia, Foggia, Italy.
authors: Leonardo
authors: L
authors: Petruzzi
authors: Antonio
authors: A
authors: Bevilacqua
authors: Claudio
authors: C
authors: Ciccarone
authors: Giuseppe
authors: G
authors: Gambacorta
authors: Giuseppina
authors: G
authors: Irlante
authors: Sandra
authors: S
authors: Pati
authors: Milena
authors: M
authors: Sinigaglia
mesh_terms: D001547:Benzaldehydes / Q000032:analysis; D005516:Food Microbiology; D005524:Food Technology; D005638:Fruit / Q000737:chemistry; D005658:Fungi; D005662:Furaldehyde / Q000032:analysis; D029963:Quercus / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000382:microbiology; D027843:Vitis / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000382:microbiology; D014920:Wine / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D001547:Benzaldehydes; D005662:Furaldehyde; C032175:benzaldehyde