Polyvinylidenefluoride (PVDF) hollow fiber membranes prepared in laboratory through the inversion phase method were characterized and used to clarify an aqueous extract from red wine lees. Steady-state permeate fluxes of 53 kg/m2h were obtained in the treatment of the aqueous extract in selected operating conditions. Suspended solids were completely retained by the hollow fiber membranes while bioactive compounds, including polyphenols, anthocyanins, and resveratrol were recovered in the permeate stream. The clarified stream was then fractionated by nanofiltration (NF). Three different commercial membranes, in flat-sheet configuration (NP010 and NP030 from Microdyn-Nadir, MPF36 from Koch Membrane Systems), were selected and tested for their productivity and selectivity towards sugars and bioactive compounds, including phenolic compounds, anthocyanins, and resveratrol. All selected membranes showed high retention towards anthocyanins (higher than 93%). Therefore, they were considered suitable to concentrate anthocyanins from clarified wine lees extracts at low temperature. On the other hand, NF permeate streams resulted enriched in phenolic compounds and resveratrol. Among the selected membranes, the MPF36 exhibited the lowest retention towards resveratrol (10%) and polyphenols (26.3%) and the best separation factor between these compounds and anthocyanins.
Keywords: bioactive compounds; biorefinery; membrane-based operations; winery effluents.