CELL-WALL COMPOSITION OF GRAPE BERRY SKINS

Cell wall materials (CWM) were prepared from the skins of Chardonnay a nd Carignan mature grape berries by the sodium deoxycholate-(phenol-ac etic acid-water) extraction procedure. Dried skin contained ca 15% of CWM with similar features for the two cultivars. Skin cell walls were made up of ca 30-35% of neutral polysaccharides [cellulose, xyloglucan , arabinan, types I and II (arabino)-galactans, xylan, and mannan] and ca 20% of acidic pectic substances moderately methyl-esterified (62%) . CWM were also contaminated by insoluble proanthocyanidins (>15%).