The Research Group of Prof. Winterhalter deals with natural compound chemistry and flavour chemistry. At this time the main focus lies on the following projects:
Bioactive compounds in fruits and vegetables (anthocyanins, proanthocyanidins, stilbenes, lignans, isoflavones, glucosinolates; structural elucidation, biological activity)
Analytics of wine and fruit juices (antioxidative compounds in red- and white wines, "French Paradox", structural elucidation, biological screening; pigments in red wine, stability, contribution to color; authenticity; aging of wine and fruit juices, indicators for aging; fraud)
Volatiles in fruits, vegetables and sparkling wine (formation pathways, precursors, contribution to sensory, off-flavors, application of precursors for the aromatization of convenience food)
Development of powerful liquid-liquid distribution separating systems (Countercurrent chromatography: development of analytical and preparative hydrodynamic separating systems, isolation of natural compounds by High Speed Countercurrent Chromatography and Low Speed Rotary Countercurrent Chromatography as well as Spiral-Coil LSRCCC for separations up to 100 g; separation of biopolymers by Centrifugal Precipitation Chromatography)
Carotinoides and carotinoid metabolites (structural elucidation, formation pathways, isolation and characterization of carotenases from animals and plants)
Coffee (in cooperation with Prof. Dr. Ulrich Engelhardt), main focus: bitter compounds
