Abstract

Low molecular weight carbohydrates (LMW) were determined in a Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon red wine by the Dubois method, a specific method for the determination of carbohydrates. Dialysis treatment of red wine allowed the separation of pentoses, hexoses, reducing and non-reducing oligosaccharides and glycosides (LMW) from the polysaccharides fraction (HMW) fraction. The total sugar content of red wine by Dubois method was 5.55 g/L. The content of LMW sugars determined by Dubois method (3.63 g/L) is higher than the sugar content of the polysaccharides fraction (1.78 g/L). Analysis of twenty more samples of Cabernet Sauvignon red wines showed that the high molecular weight fraction content is quite iterative (mean value 2.50 g/L). The advantage of the Dubois method in relation to Fehling method is that the former does not need prior decolouration of the sample and there is not interference of aldehydes. The method developed in this work may be a complementary method for the determination of carbohydrates in wine industry.