Use of commercial grape phenolic extracts to supplement solid foodstuff

Abstract Osmotic treatment (OT) has been applied to infuse phenolic compounds into a model food. Two commercial grape extracts were used as a source of phenolics, a grape seed extract (GSE) and a white grape marc extract (WGME). Three different concentrations of total phenolics were applied with and without presence of osmo-active solute (50 g/100 g and 0 g/100 g of sucrose) in the osmotic solution (OS). With a 50 g/100 g sucrose and a total phenolic content in OS ranging from 3 g/L to 15 g/L and operating time up to 8 h, the final total phenolic content in the osmo-treated model food was between 815 mg GAE/kg and 7176 mg GAE/kg. That is between the 0.5 and 1.5 times higher than that of the richest fruits. A soaking process with the same phenolic content but with no sucrose in OS led to a total phenolic content in the model food that was between 80% and 100% higher. Mass transfer of the major phenolics infused into the model food during OT and soaking process was characterized considering the diffusional approach and Peleg's model. Progress of total and individual phenolic content fitted well both models with the exception of the flavan-3-ol dimer concentration.