Extraction of Phenolic Compound from Grape Fruit. A Comparison Between a 3D FEM Model and Experimental Results

E. Madieta, I. Zouid, R. Siret, and F. Jourjon
Laboratoire GRAPPE, ESA, Angers, France
Published in 2008

Fresh fruits and vegetables are gaining importance in the human diet because they contain many beneficial compounds. Among these compounds, phenols are of vital importance due to their antioxidant properties. It is well evident from previous researches that the skin of red grapes is considered a good source of phenols. The aim of this work is to simulate the extraction procedure of phenols in vitro and model its diffusion process from the skin into the wine using a COMSOL Multiphysics 3D Finite Element Method scheme. Results show the dynamical behaviour of the concentration. Comparing our theoretical approach to the experimental findings lends support to the continuous nature of phenols localisation in the grape skin. 

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