Polyphenols in Traditional Sour Cherry Liqueurs - Beverages with Health Benefits

Abstract

The polyphenolic compounds of two traditionally obtained sour cherry liqueurs were evaluated. Liqueurs were prepared of ripe fruits with addition of sucrose and food grade ethanol. The maceration process was performed with exposure on direct sunlight for the liqueur LA and in dark at room temperature for the second one (LB) in period of 40 days. After aging of 6 months in dark fruits were separated from the liquid. The obtained liqueurs were analyzed on HPLC-DAD system and the individual components were identified with LC-ESI-MS system. In both sour cherry liqueurs the presence of 36phenolic compounds was identified. However the phenolic profiles of both liqueurs differed significantly due to preparation conditions and they were also different from that of sour cherries used as raw material. It was estimated that in the moment of analysis the total phenolics recovery was only 15.72% for the liqueur prepared with exposure to sunlight during maceration and 20.65% for the one where maceration was carried in dark.