The paper explores the impact of autochthonous microbiota on the phenolic composition of Maraština wine, as discussed in the journal Food Research International (Q1, IF=8.1). Employing a metataxonomic approach, we investigated the microbiota during spontaneous alcoholic fermentation, identifying and molecularly characterizing 95 distinct taxa at the species or genus level. Additionally, we established and validated an HPLC-UV/VIS method for identifying and quantifying 21 phenolic compounds. Through in-depth bioinformatics analysis, correlations with specific phenolic compounds in the wine were founded.

More details can be found at the following link: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodres.2024.114072

We participated in the Reconnect science with the blue society (Blue-connect) project as part of the Europeans Night of Researchers, which took place on Semptember 29, 2023 at Prokurative in Split. We presented the research we are conducting as part of the WINE AROMAS project with the aim of popularizing science. We also showed different yeast strains and clarify role of microorganisms in alcholic fermentation closer to the interested public.

We participated at annual meeting of COST Action Plantmetals CA 19116 co-located with 1st Joint International Conference of Biochemistry of Trace Elements & 21st International Conference of Heavy Metals in Wuppertal, Germany from Sep 5 to Sep 9, 2023 with a poster presentation of the study in collaboration with scientists from the Ruđer Bošković Institute:

Budić-Leto, Irena; Boban, Ana; Smokrović, Kristina; Maltar-Strmečki, Nadica: Antioxidant activity and metal micronutrient content of Croatian wines determined by electron spin resonance spectroscopy

You Tube Video Link of the First Joint ICOBTE-ICHMET: https://youtu.be/0rwW0U0XHy4 

We have published the results of enological and enzymatic characterization of different species of non-Saccharomyces yeasts, isolated and identified at the molecular level in this project which we have stored in the Institute’s collection. This work is a continuation of the previous research on the microbiota present in the Maraština variety that we published in the journal Food Research International (2022). We achieved part of the project goals with this two publications in the aims of elucidation of the specific mechanism of non-Saccharomyces yeasts in the formation of the primary and secondary wine aroma of variety Maraština.

More details about the results can be found at the link, and free access by the journal publisher has been enabled since August 11 until October 3, 2023.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fbio.2023.103033

We participated in the international conference OENO Macrowine 2023 held in Bordeaux, France from July 10 to 13, 2023. We presented the research results in two poster presentations under the titles:

Fermentation potential of indigenous non-Saccharomyces yeasts isolated from Maraština grapes of Croatian vineyards

Profiling of lipids in wines from monoculture fermentation with indigenous Metschnikowia yeast species

https://isvv-events.com/oeno-macrowine2023/

We participated in the 1st European GREEN Conference – EGC 2023, which took place from May 23 to 26 in Vodice, Croatia. We presented the newest results from sequential fermentation experiments performed with isolated non-Saccharomyces yeasts, Pichia kluyveri and Metschnikowia pulcherrima in the poster section:

Boban, A., Milanović, V., Jurun, Z., Mucalo, A., Budić-Leto, I.: Impact of native Pichia kluyveri and Metschnikowia pulcherrima on Maraština wines

GRAPE-PATH3, MYCO GRAPE and WINE AROMAS tim together at EGC-2023. 🙂

The fourth paper was published as part of the HRZZ WINE AROMAS project, and the second with the support of STSM grant funded under COST Action CA 17111 in collaboration with Research and Innovation Center – Fondazione Edmund Mach. The results of the lipid composition in the grape skin of Maraština variety obtained by a metabolic approach using the UHPLC-MS/MS method in Metabolomic Unit under supervison of our collaborator Dr Urska Vrhovsek were presented.

Boban, A.; Masuero, D.; Vrhovsek, U.; Budić-Leto, I.* Comprehensive Lipid Profile of ‘Maraština’ Grape Skins from Dalmatia. Applied Sciences 2023, 13, 6446. (Q2)

The paper is available at the link: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/13/11/6446

On April 28, 2023, the Institute for Adriatic Crops and Karst Reclamation participated in Science Festival under the common theme “Nature and Society”. The topic of our group’s presentation was “Grape mycobiota and its role in wine production”. PhD student Ana Boban, mag.chem. in a scientific-popular way presented part of the research that is carried out at the Institute as part of the HRZZ project WINE AROMAS. In that way, we pointed out the importance of grape mycobiota in the winemaking closer to primary and secondary school students.

See you next year!

Ana Boban, mag. chem. spent two weeks on training in the field of metabolomics at the Research and Innovation Center – Fondazione Edmund Mach, Italy. In the period from February 4 to 18 in 2023, Ana analyzed samples from the project using UPLC-QqQ-MS/MS. Through the analysis, we gained insight into the composition and concentration of lipids and amino acids, which are metabolic products of isolated autochthonous non-Saccharomyces yeasts. The host and mentor at the training was Dr Urska Vrhovsek.

Ana Boban, mag. chem., PhD student at the HRZZ project “Impact of native non-Saccharomyces yeasts on wine aromas- WINE AROMAS” successfully defended the topic of her doctoral dissertation entitled “Impact of indigenous non-Saccharomyces yeasts on the aroma profile of young wine from ‘Maraština’ cv. (Vitis vinifera L.)” on January 16, 2023.

The public defence of the topic of the doctoral dissertation was held at the Faculty of Food and Biotechnology of the University of Zagreb in front of the Committee for Postgraduate Studies and the Committee for the Defense of the Topic composed of:

Prof Karin Kovačević Ganić; Faculty of Food and Biotechnology, Zagreb

Dr Irena Budić-Leto, senior scientist; Institute for Adriatic Crops and Karst Reclamation, Split

Prof Vlatka Petravić Tominac; Faculty of Food and Biotechnology, Zagreb

Prof Jasenka Gajdoš Kljusurić; Faculty of Food and Biotechnology, Zagreb

Dr Vesna Milanović, research associate; Universita Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy

and under mentorship: Dr Irena Budić-Leto, senior scientist; Institute for Adriatic Crops and Karst Reclamation, Split.