Contribution of anthocyanin fraction to the antioxidant properties of wine

The wine is a beverage with an important antioxidant efficiency which is attributed to their bioactives compounds, especially polyphenols. The anthocyanins are the main phenolic compounds of red wine and its consumption has been partially related with the “French Paradox”. The aim of the present work was to evaluate the contribution of the anthocyanins to the antioxidant properties of red wines. So, total antioxidant capacity (TAC), hydroxyl and superoxide scavenger activity and lipid peroxidation of 80 Spanish red wines and their anthocyanins fractions have been assessed for ABTS, DPPH, DMPD, and FRAP methods, hydroxyl radical (HRSA), superoxide radical scavenger activity (SRSA) and ABAP-lipid peroxidation (ABAP-LP). The results showed that free anthocyanins fraction are main responsible of the total antioxidant capacity of red wines correlated with electron transference processes. In similar way, free anthocyanins are the maximum responsible of HRSA scavenger activity of red wines, contributing less extensively to their SRSA capacity or to their protective action on lipid peroxidation. Furthermore, simple anthocyanins exert a low action in TAC process involved with proton transference. Glycosilated and methoxylic anthocyanins as malvidin-3-glucoside, seem to be the type of anthocyanins with higher participation on the antioxidant effect of red wine.