Quantification of the production of hydrogen peroxide H2O2 during accelerated wine oxidation

•A novel fluorescence assay for H2O2 quantification in wines was developed.•Analysis of the intermediate H2O2 allowed assessment of oxidation processes.•H2O2 levels were mainly determined by the concentration in polymerized pigments.•This concept of trapping intermediates could be generically applied in food science. Understanding how wines react towards oxidation is of primary importance. Here, a novel approach was developed based on the quantitative determination of the key intermediate H2O2 produced during accelerated oxidation by ambient oxygen. The assay makes use of the conversion of the non-fluorescent Amplex Red substrate into a fluorescent product in presence of H2O2. The total production of H2O2 during 30min was quantified with low within-day and between-day variabilities. Polymerized pigments, but not total polyphenols, played a major role in the determination of H2O2 levels, which were lower in white wines than red wines. H2O2 amounts also increased with temperature and the addition of metal ions, but did not depend on the concentration of many other wine constituents such as SO2. H2O2 levels did not correlate with anti-oxidant properties. We believe that this novel methodology might be generically used to decipher the oxidation mechanisms in wines and food products.