Phenolic compounds in juice of "Isabel" grape treated with abscisic acid for color improvement

Isabel grape is the main cultivar used to produce juice in Brazil, which has rusticity and high productivity, but it is deficient in anthocyanins, a pigment responsible for the color. Thus, an alternative is the application of abscisic acid (S-ABA), which is responsible to promote the synthesis of anthocyanins. The aim of this work was to evaluate the phenolic compounds composition in "Isabel" grape juice treated with S-ABA, by HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS/MS technique. The results showed the increasing in total anthocyanin concentration in juices, with S-ABA treatments, as well as the proportion of B-ring tri-substituted anthocyanidins. Regarding total flavonols, differences were only significant in juices obtained in 2012 season. S-ABA treatments did not significantly affect the hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives, flavan-3-ols, resveratrol and antioxidant capacity of juices. Juice from "Isabel" grapes treated with S-ABA provides an enhancement of total anthocyanin concentration, mainly when grapes are treated before or at the onset of veraison.