Author(s)

Wilder D. Santiago¹, Maria das G. Cardoso^1*, Juliana de A. Santiago¹, Marcos S. Gomes¹, Leonardo M. A. Rodrigues², Rafaela M. Brandão¹, Rodolfo R. Cardoso¹, Gabriel B. d’Avila², Bruno L. da Silva¹, Alex R. S. Caetano¹

¹Department of Chemistry, Federal University of Lavras, Lavras, Brazil.
²Department of Food Science, Federal University of Lavras, Lavras, Brazil.

Aging is a stage of the cachaça production process in which several chemical reactions occur between compounds extracted from the wood and other compounds present on the beverage. In an attempt to establish a profile regarding the chemical characterization of aged cachaças, phenolic compounds have been studied because of the specific characteristics of each wood species and their known antioxidant properties. This work sought to assess and compare the development of 12 phenolic compounds in cachaças aged in oak (Quercus sp) and amburana (Amburana cearenses) barrels during a period of 12 months. There was a progressive increase in the concentration of phenolic compounds in the beverage for both of the types of wood. The principal compounds encountered in the cachaça aged in oak barrels were gallic acid, syringaldehyde and syringic acid, while vanillic acid, syringaldehyde, sinapic acid and gallic acid were isolated from that aged in amburana barrels.

Beverage, Aging, Phenolic Compounds, Liquid Chromatography

Santiago, W. , Cardoso, M. , A. Santiago, J. , Gomes, M. , Rodrigues, L. , Brandão, R. , Cardoso, R. , d’Avila, G. , Silva, B. and Caetano, A. (2014) Comparison and Quantification of the Development of Phenolic Compounds during the Aging of Cachaça in Oak (Quercus sp) and Amburana (Amburana cearensis) Barrels. American Journal of Plant Sciences, 5, 3140-3150. doi: 10.4236/ajps.2014.521330.