Recent Advances and Uses of Grape Flavonoids as Nutraceuticals

Abstract

Grape is one of the oldest fruit crops domesticated by humans. The numerous uses of grape in making wine, beverages, jelly, and other products, has made it one of the most economically important plants worldwide. The complex phytochemistry of the berry is characterized by a wide variety of compounds, most of which have been demonstrated to have therapeutic or health promoting properties. Among them, flavonoids are the most abundant and widely studied, and have enjoyed greater attention among grape researchers in the last century. Recent studies have shown that the beneficial health effects promoted by consumption of grape and grape products are attributed to the unique mix of polyphenolic compounds. As the largest group of grape polyphenols, flavonoids are the main candidates considered to have biological properties, including but not limited to antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, antimicrobial, antiviral, cardioprotective, neuroprotective, and hepatoprotective activities. Here, we discuss the recent scientific advances supporting the beneficial health qualities of grape and grape-derived products, mechanisms of their biological activity, bioavailability, and their uses as nutraceuticals. The advantages of modern plant cell based biotechnology as an alternative method for production of grape nutraceuticals and improvement of their health qualities are also discussed.

Simultaneous GC-MS Determination of Free and Bound Phenolic Acids in Slovenian Red Wines and Chemometric Characterization

“…[1][2][3][4] Generally, it is believed that consumption of plant phenolics decreases the risk of diseases related to oxidative stress. 5 Wine, as a complex matrix containing several hundreds of different chemical compounds, 6,7 presents an analytical challenge, especially for identification and quantification of compounds in low concentrations. The chemical composition of red wines includes minerals, vitamins, proteins, sugars and phenolic compounds, among them PAs.…”

Phenolic Compounds and Antioxidant Activity in Grape Juices: A Chemical and Sensory View

“…Grapes are one of the richest sources of polyphenols among fruits [25], being rich in a wide range of phenolic compounds, many of them renowned for their therapeutic or health promoting properties [65,66]. The bioactive compounds from grapes juices mainly include simple phenolic, flavonoids (anthocyanins, flavanols, flavonols), stilbenes (resveratrol) and phenolic acids, shown to have benefits related to human health by conferring the ability to sequester reactive oxygen species (ROS), such as hydroxyl radical and singlet oxygen [67].…”

Cold Storage and Biocontrol Agents to Extend the Storage Period of ‘BRS Isis’ Seedless Table Grapes

“…Among fruits, grapes contain a wide variety of compounds that improve health, such as phenolic compounds that neutralize free radicals [2][3][4].…”