Studies on effect of different sources of sugar and ph level on the quality of arecanut (Areca catechu L.) wine

Abstract:

The present study investigated the effect of different sugar sources and pH levels on the quality characteristics of arecanut wine prepared from tender arecanuts (Areca catechu L.). Wine was produced using two sugar sources, sucrose and jaggery, with the must adjusted to three pH levels (3.0, 3.5 and 4.0) and fermented using Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. ellipsoideus. The fermented wines were analyzed for physicochemical parameters including pH, total soluble solids, total sugars, titratable acidity, alcohol and tannin content, and were subjected to sensory evaluation after three months of ageing. The pH of the wines ranged from 2.64 to 3.87, with alcohol content varying between 8.40 and 10.13 per cent. A reduction in total soluble solids and total sugars indicated efficient fermentation across treatments. Wines prepared with jaggery showed comparatively higher sensory acceptability than those made with sucrose. Among all treatments, wine produced using jaggery at an initial must pH of 3.0 recorded the highest sensory scores for colour, flavour, mouthfeel, aftertaste and overall acceptability, attributed to lower perceived astringency and balanced acidity. The study demonstrates the potential of tender arecanut as a novel substrate for wine production and highlights jaggery and pH 3.0 as optimal conditions for producing acceptable arecanut wine.