Quantification of bioactive constituents and antioxidant activity of Chinese yellow wine

Rice wines have been consumed in China for more than 9000 years. Chinese yellow wine (CYW) is one of the traditional fermented alcoholic beverages of rice. Studies have shown that CYW improves atherosclerotic plaque in LDL-receptor-knockout mice. Rice wine consumption at a level of alcohol >12.8 g/day in Chinese women has been associated with a 34% lower risk of developing metabolic syndrome compared to non-drinkers. However, evidence for the health benefits of CYW is still very limited. In the present study, phenolic compounds, amino acids, γ-aminobutyric acid and hydroxymethylfurfural in 5-year-old Guyuelongshan CYW were characterized and quantitated as a first step in launching the studies of potential health benefits of CYW. Our results show that three of the nine phenolic compounds characterized by HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS/MS were not previously documented in the CYW. Fifteen free amino acids and γ-aminobutyric acid quantitated by the HPLC-fluorescence method and the protein assay demonstrate that CYW is a good source of amino acids (2923 μg/mL), γ-aminobutyric acid (10.1 ± 0.3 μg/mL) and peptides/proteins (4210 ± 430 μg/mL). The Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity of CYW (1.76 ± 0.07 mM) is higher than white wines but lower than red wines.