Improvement of grape and wine phenolic content by foliar application to grapevine of three different elicitors: Methyl jasmonate, chitosan, and yeast extract

• Published in: Food chemistry Vol. 201; pp. 213 - 221
• Main Authors: Portu, Javier, López, Rosa, Baroja, Elisa, Santamaría, Pilar, Garde-Cerdán, Teresa
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 15.06.2016
• Subjects: Acetates - pharmacology; Anthocyanins; Anthocyanins - analysis; Chitosan; Chitosan - pharmacology; Cyclopentanes - pharmacology; Flavonols; Foliar application; Methyl jasmonate; Non-flavonoid; Oxylipins - pharmacology; Phenols - analysis; Saccharomyces cerevisiae; Tempranillo; Vitaceae; Vitis - chemistry; Vitis vinifera L; Wine - analysis; Yeast extract; Vitis vinifera L; Flavonols; Yeast extract; Tempranillo; Foliar application; Anthocyanins; Non-flavonoid; Chitosan; Methyl jasmonate
• ISSN: 0308-8146; 1873-7072
• DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2016.01.086

•The influence of three elicitors on both grape and wine phenolic content was compared.•Both methyl jasmonate and a yeast extract increased anthocyanin content.•The yeast extract also increased grape stilbene content.•However, the other phenolic compounds were only slightly affected.•Elicitor application is a suitable alternative to improve grape and wine quality. Phenolic compounds play a key role in grape and wine organoleptic properties, being therefore a key parameter in wine quality. Elicitor application constitutes an interesting field of research since it is indirectly involved in the accumulation of phenolic compounds. The aim of this study was to compare the effect of the application of three different elicitors on both grape and wine phenolic content. Methyl jasmonate, chitosan, and a commercial yeast extract were applied to the canopy at veraison and one week later. Results showed that foliar treatments carried out with methyl jasmonate and yeast extract achieved the best results, increasing grape and wine anthocyanin content when compared to the control. Moreover, the application of the yeast elicitor also enhanced grape stilbene content. In contrast, the chitosan treatment did not have a substantial impact on the phenolic compounds. The results of this study indicate that methyl jasmonate and yeast extract applications could be a simple practice to increase grape and wine phenolic content.