Qualitative phytochemical screening of the formulated herbal wine
Phytochemicals are bioactive compounds naturally found in plants, known for their potential health-enhancing properties. Herbal wines, especially those containing grapes and turmeric, are rich in diverse phytochemicals such as flavonoids, phenols and tannins. Table 1 demonstrates the result of the Qualitative analysis of T1 (W-DTR) and T2 (W-TRE), which is compared with the control sample.
The results confirmed the presence of flavonoids, tannins, phenols, terpenoids and glycosides in all three samples - control, T1 (W-DTR) and T2 (W-TRE), which is consistent with the findings of the previous study
(Tia et al., 2025). Flavonoid levels were notably elevated in both T1 and T2 compared to the control. The detection of these bioactive compounds aligns with findings reported by
Mahapatra et al. (2023) in ginger wine by
Grover et al. (2021) in turmeric extract. Their presence suggests a synergistic contribution from both grapes and turmeric extract and potentially enhancing the wine’s nutritional composition. Phytochemicals such as flavonoids and tannins are known for their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties, supporting therapeutic effects including cancer prevention and neuroprotection
(Ullah et al., 2020).
Polyphenolic content of the formulated herbal wine
Polyphenols are a diverse group of plant-based compounds known for their strong antioxidant properties and health-promoting effects. In general, grapes are naturally rich in polyphenols such as flavonoids, tannins and resveratrol and infusion of turmeric (
Curcuma longa), a rich source of curcuminoids, is expected to further enhance the polyphenolic profile of the wine. Therefore, the formulated wine was assessed for total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), resveratrol content and curcumin levels and represented in Table 2.
Total phenolic content
The total phenolic content of the control, T1 (W-DTR) and T2 (W-TRE) has statistically significant differences. The control wine had a low value of 5.9/ mg GAE/g, whereas T1 (W-DTR) and T2 (W-TRE) samples had higher total phenolic content (109.31/ mg GAE/g and 108.29/ mg GAE/g). This indicates that the formulation of herbal grape wine with fresh turmeric leads to an enhancement in phenolic content due to the presence of curcuminoids and other phenolic constituents from the rhizome. This observation is consistent with the findings of the study by
Yuwa-Amornpitak et al. (2012), who reported that herbal wine derived from cassava starch exhibited higher phenolic levels compared to conventional wines. According to the study (
Stratil et al., 2008), these phenolic compounds contribute significantly to antioxidant activity, although some may diminish over time due to interactions with yeast and protein molecules.
Total flavonoid content
The total flavonoid content (TFC) of the control, T1 (W-DTR) and T2 (W-TRE) has statistically significant differences (p<0.05). The total flavonoid content of the formulated herbal grape wine incorporated with turmeric was found to be 23.25/ mg QCE/g in T1 (W-DTR) and 29.09/ mg QCE/g in T2 (W-TRE), which is much higher when compared to the TFC of the control sample (0.318/ mg QCE/g). As expected, infusion of fresh turmeric rhizome significantly influenced the flavonoid profile of the formulated wine samples. The flavonoid levels observed exceeded typical red wine values (0.014-0.310/ mg QCE/g)
(Hosu et al., 2014), likely due to the synergistic effect of quercetin from grapes and curcumin from turmeric, enhancing bioavailability
(Ledda et al., 2010; Sharifi-Rad et al., 2020). These results support the use of turmeric as a potent phytochemical enriching agent in herbal wine production.
Total resveratrol content
The Total Resveratrol content of the control, T1 (W-DTR) and T2 (W-TRE) exhibited statistically significant differences (p<0.05). The total resveratrol content of the control was found to be 10.9 mg/dm
3, whereas the treatment sample contained 17.51 mg/dm
3 in T1 (W-DTR) and 13.07 mg/dm
3 in T2 (W-TRE). The formulated herbal grape wine enriched with turmeric rhizome exhibited a high resveratrol content, exceeding the typical levels found in red wines, which range from 6.9 to 12.6 mg/dm
3 (
Balanov et al., 2021) depending on grape variety, fermentation duration and extraction procedure. The presence of curcumin may contribute to improved extractability or stability of resveratrol, aligning with the findings of
Lund et al. (2014), who reported enhanced bioavailability when polyphenols are combined. Furthermore, the presence of turmeric in the wine matrix possibly aids in protecting resveratrol from oxidative degradation
(Mattivi et al., 1995).
Total curcumin content
The total curcumin content of the formulated herbal grape wine was analyzed to assess the contribution of turmeric-derived bioactive compounds to the wine’s overall functional potential. Also, the total curcumin content of the control sample is not evaluated as the turmeric is not added in the control sample. Table 3 represents the total curcumin content of the formulated herbal wine.
The total curcumin content in T1 (W-DTR) and T2 (W-TRE) was monitored over a 15-day fermentation period at 5-day intervals. A steady increase in curcumin levels was observed throughout the fermentation, with statistically significant differences between the two treatments at all three time points. T1 (W-DTR) increased from 34.44 mg/g on day 5 to 61.06 mg/g by day 15, while T2 (W-TRE) consistently showed higher levels from 45.45 mg/g to 66.02 mg/g. According to
Salve et al. (2023), the increase is likely due to enzymatic activity from
S. cerevisiae, enhancing curcumin release. T2 (W-TRE) higher levels may result from better solubility and extractability of the turmeric extract. These findings align with
Lund et al. (2014), who noted enhanced curcumin bioavailability when combined with resveratrol and quercetin. Compared to turmeric-enriched bread, which contains 2.65 mg/g curcumin
(Lim et al., 2011), the wines demonstrate significantly greater curcumin content, supporting their potential health benefits.
Antioxidant activity of the formulated herbal wine
Herbal wines are known to exhibit strong antioxidant activity due to the presence of bioactive phytochemicals with free radical scavenging properties. The antioxidant activity of the formulated herbal grape wines was evaluated using DPPH radical scavenging and the results are presented in Table 4.
The antioxidant activity of both wines (T1 and T2) exhibited considerable free radical scavenging activity. Notably, T2 (W-TRE), with incorporated turmeric rhizome extract, consistently outperformed T1 (W-DTR) across all tested concentrations. At 1000 µg/mL, T2 achieved 86.64% activity when compared to the antioxidant activity of T1 (79.00%). Furthermore, at 500 µg/mL, T2 surpassed even the standard ascorbic acid (78.57% vs. 74.18%), indicating a high antioxidant potential. These findings suggest that the infusion of turmeric extract enhances the functional efficacy of the wine, possibly due to increased polyphenol content and better bioavailability of bioactive compounds, as also noted in previous studies
(Cendrowski et al., 2021). Similar findings were reported by
Sharma et al. (2020), where almond peel wine fortified with boiled ginger showed higher antioxidant activity than unfortified and commercial wines.
Patel et al. (2022) confirmed that herbal extracts enhance radical scavenging activity, boosting the nutritional and functional value of wines.