Chitosan is a linear polysaccharide obtained from the partial deacetylation of chitin in an alkaline environment; its use (strictly of fungal origin, from Aspergillus niger) in oenology is today a widespread practice as a treatment for microbiological control in musts and wines.
Chitosan has an antiseptic function, acting as an inhibitor on a wide spectrum of microorganisms active against acetic, lactic and Brettanomyces bacteria, reducing their load and inhibiting their negative effects during the aging fermentation, also allowing a reduction in the use of sulphites; it also works as a chelator of heavy metals.
The Microbiological control function is due to the ability to bind with the cell wall of these organisms, preventing their normal mechanism of action and complexing them in a chitosan-cell system that precipitates during clarification.
BIOCONTROL It arises from the need to amplify the already considerable advantages brought by chitosan by combining the mixture of gall tannins of purity ≥99%, optimizing its antimicrobial and antioxidant functions, working effectively to reduce the possibility of unwanted malolactic fermentations, excessive increase in volatile acidity, improvement of the shelf life of wines and recovery of fermentations obtained from grapes with a poor health status.