Development of Water Melon (Citrullus vulgaris L.) Red Wine

Abstract

This work aims at developing an alcoholic drink from water melon fruit in order to reabsorb the water melon surpluses and to reduce the pressure made on cereals (sorghum and corn) for the manufacture of artisanal alcoholic drinks. Antioxidant effect of polyphenols, was studied, total polyphenols, ethanol, methanol and total acids content of red water melon wines were determined and compared to a product used in human therapeutic; an extract of the Ginkgo biloba, one local sorghum beer, palm wine and few industrial wines. Results indicate that water melon based alcoholic drinks present an ethyl alcohol content varying from 8±1% to 13±1%, a total acidity from 1.2±0.1 g/l to 1.7±0.0 g/l. The newly produce water melon based wines present high content of polyphenols, and strong antioxidant capacity compare to the Ginkgo-biloba, sorghum beer and the tree other samples wines. A reasonable consumption of 240 ml/day of water melon wines represents a polyphenol contribution of 403 mg/day and an anti capacity oxidizing respectively of 4.25 or 2.4 mmol/day versus 0.18 mmol/day for the Ginkgo biloba extract.