Uporaba funkcionaliziranega silikatnega materiala za modulacijo vsebnosti fenolov in sestave rdečih vin

The effects associated with climate change may lead to suboptimal phenolic accumulation in red wine grapes and phenolic content in the corresponding wines, potentially affecting their sensory quality. This study investigates the application of functionalized amorphous silica materials (Aerosil 200) as a strategy to modulate the phenolic composition of red wine. The aim was to investigate whether silica materials activated with two trialkoxysilanes with thiol (-SH) and amine (-NH₂) groups can interact effectively with specific phenolic compounds. Silica materials were prepared after functionalization with thiol and amine silanes at two concentrations. These materials were added to a red wine with contact times of 5 and 30 minutes. The phenolic composition was evaluated by spectrophotometric methods (total phenol index, anthocyanins, polymeric pigments, tannins, and color density) and exploratory HPLC analysis based on total peak areas at selected wavelengths (280, 314, 365, and 520 nm). Results showed that the thiol-functionalized material caused the greatest reduction in anthocyanins and polymeric pigments, especially at higher functionalization levels and longer contact times. Amine-functionalized samples showed moderate effects, particularly on tannins and hydroxycinnamic acids. HPLC findings confirmed these trends, suggesting phenolic specific class interactions. This study highlights the potential of functionalized silica materials as tools to modulate the phenolic profiles of wine. Future work should the address sensory effects and evaluates the long-term impact on wine quality.