Ávila-Reyes Sandra Victoria, Jiménez-Aparicio Antonio Ruperto, Melgar-Lalanne Guiomar, Fajardo-Espinoza Fernanda Sarahí, Hernández-Sánchez Humberto
Centro de Desarrollo de Productos Bióticos, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Yautepec 62731, Mexico.
Instituto de Ciencias Básicas, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa 91190, Mexico.
Foods. 2025 Apr 18;14(8):1408. doi: 10.3390/foods14081408.
Mezcal is a Mexican alcoholic beverage elaborated by the distillation of fermented maguey ( genus) juice. In Mexico, there is an extensive variety of fermented beverages that embody many of the cultural traditions of this country. They are associated with environmental factors, naturally occurring microbiota, and the local availability of raw materials. Fermentation processes for the elaboration of ancestral beverages are an antique technology used by ethnic groups since pre-Hispanic times; however, these beverages are currently being studied with renewed attention as a source of prebiotics, probiotics, synbiotics, and postbiotics. An important sector of these products is Agave beverages, such as pulque, tequila, and mezcal. Despite the increasing demand for the last beverage, there are still relatively few studies about the chemistry, biotechnology, and health benefits of mezcal. The main aspects considered in this document are the definitions used in the mezcal industry, characteristics of wild and cultivated species and varieties, mezcal elaboration technology (including juice extraction, fermentation, distillation, and aging), and potential health benefits related to mezcal, including prebiotics and probiotics, and bioactive compounds, such as phenolics and alcohol. These compounds can make mezcal a potentially functional beverage when consumed moderately.
梅斯卡尔酒是一种墨西哥酒精饮料，由发酵的龙舌兰（龙舌兰属）汁液蒸馏而成。在墨西哥，有各种各样的发酵饮料，它们体现了这个国家的许多文化传统。它们与环境因素、天然存在的微生物群以及当地原材料的可得性有关。酿造传统饮料的发酵工艺是自前西班牙时期以来各民族使用的古老技术；然而，目前这些饮料作为益生元、益生菌、合生元和后生元的来源正受到新的关注。这些产品的一个重要类别是龙舌兰饮料，如普逵酒、龙舌兰酒和梅斯卡尔酒。尽管对最后一种饮料的需求不断增加，但关于梅斯卡尔酒的化学、生物技术和健康益处的研究仍然相对较少。本文档考虑的主要方面包括梅斯卡尔酒行业中使用的定义、野生和栽培品种及变种的特征、梅斯卡尔酒的酿造技术（包括汁液提取、发酵、蒸馏和陈酿）以及与梅斯卡尔酒相关的潜在健康益处，包括益生元和益生菌以及生物活性化合物，如酚类和酒精。适量饮用时，这些化合物可使梅斯卡尔酒成为一种潜在的功能性饮料。
