Regenerative Engineering Society Introduction by Cato T. Laurencin, MD, PhD | AIChE

Regenerative Engineering Society Introduction by Cato T. Laurencin, MD, PhD

Elaeagnus umbellate Thunb., commonly known in Kentucky as the “Autumn Berry" or “Autumn Olive”, is an invasive nitrogen-fixing shrub that was initially introduced to control erosion in eastern Kentucky. The plant is drought tolerant and can survive in a variety of climates and soil conditions. While autumn berries should not be purposely cultivated, they are common in Kentucky and harvesting the berries can prevent further spread in the environment. Autumn berries are also a rich source of lycopene antioxidant, a valuable food ingredient. Therefore, the goal of this project was to look into the feasibility and viability of fermenting autumn berry juice to create alcoholic beverages (red and white wine). The berries have a large pit, resulting in an inefficient juice output of 0.30 milliliters per gram of berry but sugar content measurements by HPLC indicated promise for use in yeast fermentations. Lab-scale fermentations were performed and pH, sugars, esters, titratable acidity, and alcohols were measured before, during, and after fermentation to characterize the wine produced.