Optimization of fermentation parameters for the production of a novel selenium enriched mulberry (Morus nigra) wine

Novel selenium (Se) access media such as wine is increasingly being improved to ease Se access and consumption. Thus, our work intended to enhance mulberry wine as a Se access medium by optimizing wine fermentation conditions using Box-Behnken design (BBD) and Response Surface Methodology (RSM). The approach combined four parameters selected from a factor screening study. Optimizing the parameters, the design predicted the best temperature as 25.01 °C, pH 4.22, °Brix 25 °Bx, and Se 299.99 μg at a desirability of 0.939. Using these conditions, an optimized Se-enriched mulberry wine (OpSeMW) with a 9.41% alcohol by volume, 695.36 mg/100 mL total polyphenol content, and a total residual Se of 201.58 μg was attained. It also exhibited improved characteristics regarding its physicochemical properties, color, phytochemical content, antioxidant activity, and microbiological quality compared to ordinary mulberry wine (OMW). Therefore, the optimization technique contributed to producing a Se-enriched mulberry wine as a ready-to-drink beverage to consider in achieving the Se recommended daily allowance. The optimized parameters will also serve as the benchmark for Se-enriched mulberry wine technology development and production scale-up.