Published:Journal of Chromatographic Science,
ISSN 0021-9665Volume
39, Number 8, August 2001, pp. 321-324
Analysis
of Wine for PenicillinGary
Morris, James Yuan, and Roy Williams* Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Old Dominion University, Norfolk,
VA
This
study addresses the question of whether the antibiotic Penicillin, which is
produced by the common mold Penicillium notatum, could possibly become a contaminate
of wine during the fermentation process. The significance of this study is related
to the potential health effects this agent might produce in those consumers
who have an allergic response to Penicillin. It has been estimated that between
6% and 8% of the American population is subject to this type of allergic response.
A method is developed for the detection of penicillin in wines using high-pressure
liquid chromatography. We demonstrate that penicillin G hydrolyzes rapidly in
wine with first-order kinetics, and the half-life of this antibiotic is 147
min in a typical commercial wine. An analysis of a number of commercial wines
shows no evidence of the presence of penicillin, which should negate the question
of any allergic response associated with this potential contaminate.
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