Insights on the effect of age and gender on in-mouth volatile release during wine tasting

Abstract

This study focus for the first time, in looking for age-gender effects on in vivo volatile release during wine consumption, also considering oral physiological differences (e.g. saliva composition). To do so, the in-mouth Head Space Sorptive Extraction technique was used, which allowed monitoring the oral release of twenty-four different types of volatile compounds from white and red wines. Thirty-two individuals (n = 32) males and females, belonging to two different age groups: young (18–35 y.o) and senior (>55 y.o.) participated in this analytical in vivo study. Results showed differences in volatile release among age-gender groups, which also depended on the volatile compound and wine type. Senior groups (SM, SF) showed a similar release behaviour among them. Contrarily, young males showed a higher release (between 10 and 29%) of alcohols and esters indistinctly of the wine type, while young females showed the lowest oral volatile release among the four age-gender groups. Gender differences in volatile release were more evident in young than in seniors. A higher release of furanic compounds (furfural and 5-methyl furfural) in seniors was likely related to differences in their saliva composition (total protein content, minerals (Mg, Zn) and α-amylase activity).