Antioxidant activity of South African red and white cultivar wines and selected phenolic compounds: In vitro inhibition of microsomal lipid peroxidation

In vitro inhibition of microsomal lipid peroxidation (MLP) by the major South African red (Cabernet Sauvignon, Ruby Cabernet, Pinotage, Shiraz, Merlot) and white (Sauvignon blanc, Chenin blanc, Chardonnay, Colombard) commercial cultivar wines is presented for the first time. Of the red wines, Merlot was the most effective MLP inhibitor, with Ruby Cabernet and Pinotage being the least effective. Of the white wines, Chenin blanc and Chardonnay were the least and most effective MLP inhibitor, respectively. The mean antioxidant potencies (AP) of the red and white wine total phenols were 14.25 and 4.19, respectively. Ascorbic acid, present in some white wines, counteracted their ability to inhibit MLP. Inhibition of MLP significantly (P<0.001) correlated with the total phenol content of red (r=0.90) and white (r=0.73) wines, as well as the flavanol content (r=0.88) of red wines and the flavanol (r=0.79) and tartaric acid ester (r=0.73) contents of white wines. The MLP inhibitory activities of selected flavonoids were in the order: Quercetin > procyanidin B3 > malvidin > cyanidin ≈ (−)-epicatechin > (+)-catechin ≈ delphinidin.