Occurrence of hydroxypropanedial in certain musts and wines

The identification of a reductone found in sweet botrytized white table mines is described. A derivation method with O-(2,3,4,5,6-pentafluorobenzyl)hydroxylamine hydrochloride (PFBOA), which permitted the identification of carbonyl and a-dicarbonyl compounds, was used. On the basis of analysis by GC and GC/MS and of H-1-NMR data, the compound has been identified as hydroxypropanedial. This triose reductone is possibly characterized by a large sulfur dioxide combination power and redox properties. The compound was isolated from musts and wines produced from botrytized grapes. It is normally present in very low concentrations in dry white or red wines, but this carbonyl compound occurs in huge levels if Botrytis cinerea and other damaging molds with associated moldy and acetic characters are present in spoiled berries.