The Effect of the Fermentation Process on the Bioactive Composition of Wild Fruit Vinegars Fermentasyon Sürecinin Yabani Meyve Sirkelerinin Biyoaktif Kompozisyonuna Etkisi
Journal of Tekirdag Agricultural Faculty, cilt.23, sa.4, ss.1330-1344, 2026 (ESCI, Scopus, TRDizin)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 23 Sayı: 4
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.33462/jotaf.1837281
- Dergi Adı: Journal of Tekirdag Agricultural Faculty
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI), Scopus, TR DİZİN (ULAKBİM)
- Sayfa Sayıları: ss.1330-1344
- Anahtar Kelimeler: Antioxidant capacity, Fermentation, Phenolic compounds, Vinegar production, Wild fruits
- Açık Arşiv Koleksiyonu: AVESİS Açık Erişim Koleksiyonu
- Yıldız Teknik Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
In this study, wild blueberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.), hawthorn (Crataegus orientalis Pall. Ex M. Bieb.), persimmon (Diospyros kaki L.), medlar (Mespilus germanica L.), and grape—each rich in bioactive compounds— were evaluated for vinegar production. The aim was to investigate changes in physicochemical properties, antioxidant capacity, and total phenolic content during the fermentation process. Additionally, sensory analyses were performed following a two-week resting period of the vinegars. For a controlled comparison, grape, a commonly consumed fruit, was used as the reference material. In the study, wine was first produced from the fruits by pomace fermentation, followed by surface culture acetic acid fermentation, which lasted approximately two months. A decrease in soluble dry matter and corresponding °Brix values was observed in all fruits during fermentation. Alcohol levels increased during pomace and wine fermentation but decreased during vinegar fermentation. Changes in pH and titratable acidity varied by fruit type. Total phenolic content, along with antioxidant capacity determined by DPPH and CUPRAC methods, was measured at two-week intervals in fresh fruit, pomace, wine, and vinegar samples. Overall, the results revealed that the bioactive compound content generally increased throughout the vinegar production process for all fruits. The highest total phenolic accumulation was observed in medlar and hawthorn vinegars, with 733.24 mg GAE L⁻¹ and 683.78 mg GAE L⁻¹, respectively. All wild fruit vinegars exhibited higher antioxidant capacity and phenolic content compared to the grape vinegar used as the control. Blueberry vinegar received high scores in terms of color but was only moderately appreciated for aroma and flavor, while persimmon and medlar vinegars showed more balanced but overall moderate acceptance across all sensory attributes. Although hawthorn vinegar received low scores for aroma and flavor, it partially met consumer expectations in terms of color and overall impression. The findings highlight the high potential of wild fruit vinegars to be evaluated as functional foods and provide an important scientific basis for future studies on vinegar production using alternative raw materials.