Role of Glycoconjugates of 3-Methyl-4-hydroxyoctanoic Acid in the Evolution of Oak Lactone in Wine during Oak Maturation

Oak lactone is a natural component of oak wood, but it also exists in glycoconjugate precursor forms. This study concerned the role of glycoconjugates of 3-methyl-4-hydroxyoctanoic acid, specifically a galloylglucoside, glucoside, and rutinoside, in the evolution of oak lactone during cooperage and maturation. The glycoconjugate profiles of 10 French oak samples were obtained by high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) using stable isotope dilution analysis. The galloylglucoside was found to be the predominant glycoconjugate precursor and ranged in concentration from 110 to 354 mu g/g. Maturation trials indicated the galloylglucoside undergoes acid-catalyzed hydrolysis after extraction into wine; after 12 months of maturation, the glucoside was the most abundant precursor, present at between 2- and 11-fold higher concentrations than those observed for powdered oak. Thermal degradation of glycoconjugates was observed only when oak samples were heated at 200 degrees C for 30 min, demonstrating their thermal stability.