The hydrogen-storing microporous silica 'Microcluster' reduces acetaldehyde contained in a distilled spirit.

Acetaldehyde is a detrimental substance produced in alcoholic liquor aging. We assessed an ability of hydrogen-storing microporous silica 'Microcluster' (MC+) to reduce acetaldehyde, as compared with autoclave-dehydrogenated MC+ (MC-). Acetaldehyde was quantified spectrophotometrically by an enzymatic method. Authentic acetaldehyde was treated by MC+ for 20min, and decreased from 43.4ppm to 10.9ppm, but maintained at 49.3ppm by MC-. On the other hand, acetaldehyde contained in a distilled spirit was decreased from 29.5ppm to 3.1ppm at 20min by MC+, but not decreased by MC-. Addition of MC+ or MC- to distilled water without acetaldehyde showed no seeming effect on the quantification used. Accordingly acetaldehyde in a distilled spirit is reduced to ethanol by hydrogen contained in MC+, but not by the silica moiety of MC+. Hydrogen gas of 1.2mL was released for 20min from MC+ of 0.59g in water, resulting in dissolved hydrogen of 1.09ppm and an oxidation- reduction potential of -687.0mV indicative of a marked reducing ability. Thus, MC+ has an ability to reduce acetaldehyde in a distilled spirit due to dissolved hydrogen released from MC+.