ANALYSIS OF RED WINES USING LIQUID CHROMATOGRAPHYMASS SPECTROMETRY
American Chemical Society 2004 Fall Scientific Meeting, Midland Local Section
Midland, MI
J. Lenartowicz, J.T. Roy
Joshua Lenartowicz and John T. Roy
Impact Analytical, 1910 W. St. Andrews Rd., Midland, MI 48640
Red wines have recently received considerable attention due to some of their positive health
effects. In particular, moderate red wine consumption is attracting great interest, because the
wines may protect individuals from certain cancers and heart diseases. Additional positive effects
are observed for reduced cholesterol and blood pressure levels, and the wines can also kill
harmful bacteria originating from food. The benefits from moderate intake have been attributed
to several polyphenolic compounds that serve as antioxidants, and many research groups have
been attempting to identify these compounds.
Several red wines have recently been analyzed in our laboratory in an attempt to identify and
monitor compounds that afford these positive benefits. These analyses have been conducted
utilizing liquid chromatography coupled with a mass spectrometer (LC-MS) and an ultraviolet
wavelength detector. Both electrospray ionization (ESI) and atmospheric pressure chemical
ionization (APCI) with the ion trap mass spectrometer have been investigated to determine which
ionization mode affords better results. Advantages and disadvantages of the LC-MS technique
for the analysis of red wines will be presented. Additional sample clean up could facilitate the
identification process. Our initial study demonstrates that LC-MS is an excellent qualitative tool
for the analysis of red wine.