Enological impact of vineyard application of methyl jasmonate–loaded chitosan nanoparticles on ethanol reduction and wine quality preservation

Abstract

Viticultural practices aimed at producing lower‑alcohol wines have traditionally focused on reducing sugar accumulation in grapes through canopy management techniques—such as early leaf removal or shading—which limit photosynthetic activity and delay ripening (Palliotti et al., 2014). Other approaches, including regulated deficit irrigation and the selection of late‑ripening cultivars or specific rootstocks, have been used to moderate berry sugar concentration under warm conditions (Intrigliolo & Castel, 2010). More recently, the application of metabolic elicitors has gained attention for their ability to influence grape composition and fermentative outcomes (Gil-Muñoz et al., 2020 ).Within this emerging field, the use of chitosan‑based nanoparticles loaded with bioactive compounds represents a novel strategy to modulate berry metabolism and ultimately achieve wines with reduced ethanol content while maintaining enological quality In this study, we evaluated the impact of 3 foliar treatments on the phenolic composition of Monastrell wines during the 2025 season. Treatments were applied at veraison and at one- and two-week intervals (200 mL/plant): (i) Control (water), (ii) methyl jasmonate (MeJ, 7.5 mM), (iii) ChNPs (chitosan naoparticles), and (iv) MeJ-ChNPs (chitosan nanoparticles loaded with methyl jasmonate) (7.5 mM). Chemical parameters were evaluated according to OIV procedures (OIV, 2021), and the phenolic composition was analyzed and quantified by liquid chromatography following the methodology described by Pérez‑Porras et al. (2022). A sensory analysis was performed after the completion of malolactic fermentation. All treatments resulted in wines with reduced ethanol content, with the largest decreases observed in those involving methyl jasmonate, both in its conventional form and encapsulated in chitosan nanoparticles. Although no statistically significant differences in phenolic composition were detected relative to the control, wines produced from MeJ‑ChNP–treated grapes showed the highest phenolic concentrations. These wines also obtained the highest sensory scores showing a high quality. These findings indicate that nanotechnology-based elicitors can modulate grape metabolism, positioning them as a promising tool for obtaining wines with lower alcohol content while preserving enological quality. This approach aligns with current consumer preferences for fresher, more balanced, and lower-alcohol wine styles.

References

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Pérez-Porras, P.; Gómez-Plaza, E.; Muñoz-García, R.; Díaz-Maroto, M. C.; Moreno-Olivares, J. D.; Bautista-Ortín, A. B. (2022). Prefermentative grape microwave treatment as a tool for increasing red wine phenolic content and reducing maceration time. Appl. Sci., 12(16), 8164.