Physicochemical, Antioxidant and Sensory Characteristics of Black Cherry (Prunus Serotina Subsp. Capuli) Fermented Juice

The effect of fermentation on the physicochemical (pH, titratable acidity, total soluble solids, color parameters, ethanol concentration), antioxidant (antioxidant activity (AA), total phenolic compounds (TFCs), total flavonoids (TFs), total monomeric anthocyanins (TMAs)), and sensory characteristics was evaluated in black cherry (Prunus serotina) juice and fermented beverages. The Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) spectra of black cherry juice and fermented beverages were also obtained. Three fermentation conditions were tested based on the total soluble solids (°Bx) content in fresh black cherry juice (FRJ): 10.9 °Bx in fresh juice (FEB1) and fresh juice adjusted to 17.5 (FEB2) and 25 (FEB3) °Bx. At the end of fermentation, the physicochemical and antioxidant characteristics of all beverages showed significant statistical differences (p ≤ 0.05). In the FTIR spectra, important changes were observed within juice and fermented beverages. A maximum concentration of 13.66% ethanol (v/v) was synthetized in FEB3. The AA, TPCs, TFs, and TMAs in FRJ and FEB3 beverage were 196.95 and 150.41 mg Trolox, 198.40 and 102.76 mg Gallic acid, 171.09 and 59.72 mg catechin and 1.64 and 0.72 mg cyanidin-3-O-glucoside/100 mL of beverage, respectively. Values for FEB1 and FEB2 are within values for FJR and FEB3. The averages of the sensory attributes were statistically different (p ≤ 0.05) for FRJ and FEBs. According to a 9-poins hedonic scale, fermented beverages “liked moderately” (7 in the scale). All beverages maintained their antioxidant characteristics in the range 34.90 ~ 76.40%.