Vineatrol and cardiovascular disease: beneficial effects of a vine-shoot phenolic extract in a hamster atherosclerosis model

Terroir Influence on Polyphenol Metabolism from Grape Canes: A Spatial Metabolomic Study at Parcel Scale

The composition of bioactive polyphenols from grape canes, an important viticultural byproduct, was shown to be varietal-dependent; however, the influence of soil-related terroir factors remains unexplored. Using spatial metabolomics and correlation-based networks, we investigated how continuous changes in soil features and topography may impact the polyphenol composition in grape canes. Soil properties, topography, and grape cane extracts were analyzed at georeferenced points over 3 consecutive years, followed by UPLC-DAD-MS-based metabolomic analysis targeting 42 metabolites. Principal component analyses on intra-vintage metabolomic data presented a good reproducibility in relation to geographic coordinates. A correlation-driven approach was used to explore the combined influence of soil and topographic variables on metabolomic responses. As a result, a metabolic cluster including flavonoids was correlated with elevation and curvature. Spatial metabolomics driven by correlation-based networks represents a powerful approach to spatialize field-omics data and may serve as new field-phenotyping tool in precision agriculture.

Increasing the added value of vine-canes as a sustainable source of phenolic compounds: A review

Grapes represent one of the most produced fruit crops around the world leading to the generation of large amounts of vine-canes as a side product, with no current economically profitable application. However, vine-canes have been demonstrated to be natural sources of phenolic compounds with numerous health benefits associated, with several potential applications. Therefore, new ambitious applications focused on their re-use are needed, targeting a sustainable process that simultaneous produces functional products and mitigates the waste generation. This review gives to the readers a complete summary about the state of the art regarding the vine-canes extracts research. Vine-canes phenolic composition is addressed and related to the health benefits exhibited. This review comprises studies from the past two decades reporting the extraction processes to recover vine-cane phenolic compounds, including conventional and environmentally friendly technologies and discussing their advantages and disadvantages. The conditions that favour the extraction process for vine-cane polyphenols for each technique were also deeply explored for the first time, enabling to the reader apply only the best parameters to achieve the highest yields without huge investment in optimizations procedures. Furthermore, a correlation between the bioactive properties of the vine-cane extracts and their applications in multiple fields is also critically presented.

Identifying Major Drivers of Antioxidant Activities in Complex Polyphenol Mixtures from Grape Canes

Grape canes represent a valuable source of numerous polyphenols with antioxidant properties, whose compositions vary depending on the genotype and environmental factors. Antioxidant activities of pure molecules are often reported without considering possible interactions that may occur in complex polyphenol mixture. Using UPLC-MS-based metabolomics and unsupervised classification, we explored the polyphenol variations in grape cane extracts from a collection of European varieties. Antioxidant activities were assessed using ORAC, ABTS, DPPH, FRAP, CUPRAC and chelation assays. Pairwise correlations between polyphenols and antioxidant capacities were performed to identify molecules that contributed more to the antioxidant capacities within a complex mixture of polyphenols.

Influence of pruning time and viral infection on stilbenoid levels in Pinot noir grape canes

BACKGROUND

Grapevine canes represent a large source of waste derived from grape cultivation. In the present study, the effect of different processes of storage and different pruning times on the stilbene accumulation on Pinot noir canes was analyzed. Whether the alteration of the secondary metabolism accompanying leafroll symptom expressions could affect the stilbenoid accumulation in canes harvested at pruning time was also investigated.

RESULTS

The maximum accumulation of trans-resveratrol and trans-piceatannol was obtained in canes harvested in October and dried at 40 °C. Even in grape canes harvested in October, November, and December and stored for different times at room temperature (20 ± 2 °C) a marked increase in trans-resveratrol and trans-piceatannol was evident, which reached a maximum at around 8 weeks of storage. A significant higher accumulation of trans-resveratrol and trans-piceatannol was also found in canes harvested from symptomatic plants compared to those harvested from asymptomatic plants for all the pruning times.

CONCLUSION

This study confirms that the biosynthetic enzyme activities and, particularly, those involved in the stilbene pathway, persist during Pinot noir cane storage at different harvest times, with different storage times and conditions, and different sanitary status. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.

Dietary glutathione supplementation enhances antioxidant activity and protects against lipopolysaccharide-induced acute hepatopancreatic injury and cell apoptosis in Chinese mitten crab, Eriocheir sinensis

Eriocheir sinensis (E. sinensis) is an important aquaculture species in China. However, deteriorating water environments lead to oxidative stress in these crabs, which subsequently reduces their quality and yield. Glutathione (GSH) is an endogenous antioxidant that is used to mitigate oxidative stress. However, whether dietary GSH can enhance the resistance of E. sinensis to oxidative stress remains unclear. Herein, crabs were fed dietary GSH (the basal diet was supplemented with 0, 300, 600, 900, and 1200 mg/kg diet weight of GSH) for up to 3 weeks and, then, challenged with lipopolysaccharide (LPS; 400 μg/kg body weight). After 6 h, their hepatopancreas were sampled. Diet supplementation with 600 and 900 mg/kg diet weight GSH not only increased the content of GSH in the hepatopancreas, but also enhanced the activities and mRNA expressions of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), and glutathione-S-transferase (GST) (P < 0.05), compared to that in control crabs challenged with LPS alone. Diet supplementation with 600 or 900 mg/kg GSH also significantly increased the enzyme activities of GSH reductase and γ-glutamyl cysteine synthetase (γ-GCS) in LPS-treated crabs. Haematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining, electron microscopy, and flow cytometry were used to examine the structure and subcellular structure of and apoptosis in the hepatopancreas. The histopathology and sub-microstructure analysis results also showed that diet supplementation with 600 or 900 mg/kg GSH significantly alleviated damage in crabs challenged with LPS and decreased reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels and cell apoptosis ratios in the hepatopancreas, compared to the LPS-treated crabs. To further understand the effect of dietary GSH on LPS-induced apoptosis, the activities and gene or protein expressions of apoptosis-related factors were evaluated. As a result, diet supplementation with 600 or 900 mg/kg GSH significantly decreased the activities of caspases-3, -8, and -9 and inhibited the relative expression of caspase-3 and -8 but increased the expression of B-cell lymphoma-2 (bcl-2) and B-cell lymphoma-2-associated X inhibitor (bax inhibitor) in crabs challenged with LPS. This treatment further significantly downregulated the relative protein levels of caspase-3, -8, -9 and Bax and upregulated those of Bcl-2 in crabs challenged with LPS. However, treatment with 1200 mg/kg GSH caused the opposite effects. Overall, our results reveal that appropriate diets supplemented with 600 or 900 mg/kg GSH could enhance the antioxidant capacity and anti-apoptotic mechanisms in crabs after LPS injection, thereby providing a theoretical basis for the application of dietary GSH in E. sinensis.

Viticultural wood waste as a source of polyphenols of interest: Opportunities and perspectives through conventional and emerging extraction methods

Viticultural waste has been widely demonstrated to contain high-added value compounds named the stilbenes. Among them, trans-resveratrol (Rsv) and trans-ε-viniferin (Vf) are the most abundant in particular in grape canes. Various emerging methods such as ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE), microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) or pressurized solvent extraction (PSE) have been studied to recover Rsv and Vf from grape canes in order to enhance their extraction. This paper gives a critical overview of the techniques used to this end, integrating conventional and non-conventional methods investigated in the literature as well as those used in industrial processes. It finally highlights that the unconventional technics are usually less time-consuming than conventional extraction ones but further investigations for the discussed compounds and biomass are needed to optimize and understand the influence of the individual parameters of each extraction process.

Red Wine Consumption and Cardiovascular Health

Wine is a popular alcoholic beverage that has been consumed for hundreds of years. Benefits from moderate alcohol consumption have been widely supported by the scientific literature and, in this line, red wine intake has been related to a lesser risk for coronary heart disease (CHD). Experimental studies and meta-analyses have mainly attributed this outcome to the presence in red wine of a great variety of polyphenolic compounds such as resveratrol, catechin, epicatechin, quercetin, and anthocyanin. Resveratrol is considered the most effective wine compound with respect to the prevention of CHD because of its antioxidant properties. The mechanisms responsible for its putative cardioprotective effects would include changes in lipid profiles, reduction of insulin resistance, and decrease in oxidative stress  of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). The aim of this review is to summarize the accumulated evidence correlating moderate red wine consumption with prevention of CHD by focusing on the different mechanisms underlying this relationship. Furthermore, the chemistry of wine as well as chemical factors that influence the composition of the bioactive components of red wine are also discussed.

Aspirin eugenol ester attenuates oxidative injury of vascular endothelial cells by regulating NOS and Nrf2 signalling pathways

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Aspirin eugenol ester (AEE) is a new drug compound synthesized by combining aspirin with eugenol. It was reported to possess anti-thrombotic, anti-atherosclerotic, and anti-oxidative effects. However, its molecular mechanism against oxidative injury is unclear. This study investigated how AEE affected the oxidative injury of vascular endothelial cells in vivo and in vitro.

EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH

A hamster model of atherosclerosis induced by a high fat diet (HFD) and an in vitro model of oxidative stress, H₂ O₂ -induced apoptosis of HUVECs, were used to investigate the anti-oxidative effects of AEE.

KEY RESULTS

AEE significantly reduced the stimulatory effect of HFD on malondialdehyde, the inhibitory effect of HFD on SOD activity and GSH/GSSG ratio, and the overexpression of inducible NOS (iNOS) in the aorta. In vitro, incubation of HUVECs with H₂ O₂ led their apoptosis, dysfunctions of the NO systems (including increased iNOS activity, decreased endothelial NOS activity, and increased production of NO), an imbalance in calcium homeostasis and energy metabolism with an increase in intracellular free calcium and decrease in ATP, and a down-regulation of Nrf2. In contrast, in the HUVECs pretreated with 1 μM AEE for 24 hr, the above adverse effects induced by H₂ O₂ were significantly ameliorated. Moreover, the decrease in NO production and activity of iNOS induced by AEE was significantly attenuated in Nrf2-inhibited HUVECs.

CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATION

AEE protects vascular endothelial cells from oxidative injury by regulating NOS and Nrf2 signalling pathways. This suggests that AEE is a novel potential agent for the prevention of atherosclerosis.

Contribution of Red Wine Consumption to Human Health Protection

Wine consumption has been popular worldwide for many centuries. Based on in vitro and in vivo studies, a certain amount of everyday wine consumption may prevent various chronic diseases. This is due, in part, to the presence and amount of important antioxidants in red wine, and, therefore, research has focused on them. Wine polyphenols, especially resveratrol, anthocyanins, and catechins, are the most effective wine antioxidants. Resveratrol is active in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases by neutralizing free oxygen radicals and reactive nitrogenous radicals; it penetrates the blood-brain barrier and, thus, protects the brain and nerve cells. It also reduces platelet aggregation and so counteracts the formation of blood clots or thrombi. The main aim of this review is to summarize the current findings about the positive influence of wine consumption on human organ function, chronic diseases, and the reduction of damage to the cardiovascular system.

Effects of a Grapevine Shoot Extract Containing Resveratrol and Resveratrol Oligomers on Intestinal Adenoma Development in Mice: In Vitro and In Vivo Studies

SCOPE

Evidence suggests that the dietary consumption of plant extracts containing polyphenols might help prevent the onset of cancers of the gastrointestinal tract. In the present study, the chemopreventive and antiproliferative efficacy of a grapevine shoot extract (Vineatrol®30) containing resveratrol and resveratrol oligomers is investigated in vivo and in vitro.

METHODS AND RESULTS

The in vivo study is performed using Apc^Min mice on a high-fat diet, which represents a model of human adenomatous polyposis, while the potential of the extract as well as some of its isolated constituents to inhibit intestinal adenoma cell proliferation in vitro is investigated using APC10.1 cells derived from an Apc^Min mouse. Vineatrol®30 at a low (2.3 mg kg^-1  diet) or high dose (476 mg kg^-1  diet) reduces the adenoma number in male and adenoma volume in female animals. Furthermore, Vineatrol®30 as well as resveratrol and two resveratrol tetramers compromise the expansion of APC10.1 cells by reducing cell number, inducing cell cycle arrest, cellular senescence, and apoptosis. However, except for the extract, none of the isolated resveratrol oligomers is more efficacious than resveratrol in these cells.

CONCLUSION

Vineatrol®30 may merit further investigation as a potential dietary gastrointestinal cancer chemopreventive agent in humans.

Mechanical stress rapidly induces E-resveratrol and E-piceatannol biosynthesis in grape canes stored as a freshly-pruned byproduct

Grape canes represent a promising source of bioactive phytochemicals. However the stabilization of the raw material after pruning remains challenging. We recently reported the induction of stilbenoid metabolism after winter pruning including a strong accumulation of E-resveratrol and E-piceatannol during the first six weeks of storage. In the present study, the effect of mechanical wounding on freshly-pruned canes was tested to increase the induction of stilbenoid metabolism. Cutting the grape canes in short segments immediately after pruning triggered a transient expression of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) and stilbene synthase (STS) genes, followed by a rapid accumulation of E-resveratrol and E-piceatannol. The degree of stilbenoid induction was related to the intensity of mechanical wounding. Data suggest that a global defense response is triggered involving jasmonate signaling, PR proteins and stilbenoid metabolism. Mechanical wounding of freshly-pruned canes drastically shortens the time required to reach maximal stilbenoid accumulation from 6 to 2weeks.

Antioxidant and Cytoprotective Activities of Grapevine Stilbenes

Grapevine stem extracts are viticulture byproducts rich in stilbenes that are increasingly studied for their potential biological activities. This study aimed to investigate some biological activities of a grape byproduct with high stilbenoid content and to point out the molecules responsible of these beneficial activities. As a consequence, the extract was subjected to a bioguided fractionation and separation by centrifugal partition chromatography. The obtained fractions were characterized by liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance. Fractions were purified further by column chromatography and resulted in the purification of the main constituents. Thirteen stilbenes have been quantified. The most abundant compounds were ε-viniferin, resveratrol, and, in lesser amounts, isohopeaphenol and ampelopsin A. The extract, fractions, and major stilbenes were tested for their antioxidant activity by oxygen radical absorbance capacity and their cyprotective effects against β-amyloid on rat pheochromocytoma cells. Among them, fraction 5 showed significant antioxidant activity and fraction 2 had a significant cytoprotective effect against β-amyloid-induced toxicity. Two putative inhibitors of β-amyloid toxicity have been identified: ampelopsin A and piceatannol.

Grapevine-shoot stilbene extract as a preservative in red wine

This paper reports the use of a grapevine-shoot stilbene extract (Vineatrol®) as a preservative in red wine. Its effectiveness to preserve red wine quality under two different winemaking systems (traditional and Ganimede) was studied at bottling and after twelve months of storage in bottle. Enological parameters, color related parameters, volatile composition, sensory analysis and olfactometric profile were evaluated. At bottling wines treated with Vineatrol showed higher color related parameters and higher score in sensory analysis than those treated with SO2. The use of SO2 increased ester and alcohol volatile compounds in relation to the use of Vineatrol. Wine olfactometric profile was modified by Vineatrol addition. Two new odorant zones with high modified frequency appeared in wines treated with Vineatrol. After 12months of storage in bottle, wines treated with Vineatrol showed parameters related to oxidation. The weak point of the process seemed to be the evolution during the storage in bottle.

Dietary silicon-enriched spirulina improves early atherosclerosis markers in hamsters on a high-fat diet

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of dietary silicon-enriched spirulina (SES) on atherosclerosis.

METHODS

Hamsters (six per group) on a high-fat (HF) diet received SES or non-enriched spirulina (both at 57 mg/kg body weight) daily. This corresponded to 0.57 mg silicon/kg body weight daily.

RESULTS

The HF diet induced dyslipidemia, insulin resistance, oxidative stress, and vascular dysfunction. Compared with the HF group, SES attenuated increases of lipemia and prevented insulin resistance (IR) (P = 0.001). SES protected against oxidative stress through a reduction of heart (P = 0.006) and liver (P < 0.0001) nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-oxidase activity and by sparing the activity of superoxide dismutase (P = 0.0017) and glutathione peroxidase (P = 0.01861). SES decreased inflammation, lowering tumor necrosis factor-α (P = 0.0006) and interleukin-6 levels (P = 0.0112), decreasing polymorphonuclear cells and preventing nuclear factor-κB activity (P = 0.0259). SES corrected plasma level of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (P = 0.0380), which was increased by the HF diet. Finally, SES supplementation prevented vascular and endothelial functions assessed respectively by the contractile response to the agonist phenylephrine and the relaxation induced by acetylcholine.

CONCLUSION

SES protects against metabolic imbalance, inflammation, oxidative stress, and vascular dysfunction induced by an HF diet, and could prevent the atherogenic processes. Synergistic effects between spirulina and silicon were observed.

Prenatal effects of maternal consumption of polyphenol-rich foods in late pregnancy upon fetal ductus arteriosus

Fetal circulation has characteristic features, being morphologically and functionally different from extrauterine circulation. The ductus arteriosus plays a fundamental role in directing the blood flow to fetal inferior body parts. Basically, the ductus arteriosus directs 80-85% of the right ventricular output arising from the superior vena cava, coronary sinus, and a small part from the inferior vena cava to descending aorta. Its histological structure is made up predominantly by a thick muscular layer, differently from the aorta and the pulmonary artery, which increases with gestational age. The fibers have a circumferential orientation, especially at the external layers, facilitating and making effective ductal constriction. These factors may generate lumen alterations which may cause fetal and neonatal complications, such as heart failure, hydrops, neonatal pulmonary hypertension, and even death. Classically, maternal administration of indomethacin and/or other antiinflammatory drugs interfere in prostaglandins metabolism, causing ductal constriction. However, many cases of fetal ductal constriction, as well as of persistent neonatal pulmonary artery hypertension, remain without an established etiology, being referred as "idiopathic." In recent years, a growing body of evidence has shown that herbs, fruits, nuts, and a wide diversity of substances commonly used in daily diets have definitive effects upon the metabolic pathway of inflammation, with consequent inhibition of prostaglandins synthesis. This antiinflammatory action, especially of polyphenols, when ingested during the third trimester of pregnancy, may influence the dynamics of fetal ductus arteriosus flow. The goal of this review is to present these new observations and findings, which may influence dietary orientation during pregnancy.

Bioactive stilbenes from Vitis vinifera grapevine shoots extracts

BACKGROUND

Viticultural residues from commercial viticultural activities represent a potentially important source of bioactive stilbenes such as resveratrol. The main aim of the present study was therefore to isolate, identify and perform biological assays against amyloid-β peptide aggregation of original stilbenes from Vitis vinifera shoots.

RESULTS

A new resveratrol oligomer, (Z)-cis-miyabenol C (3), was isolated from Vitis vinifera grapevine shoots together with two newly reported oligostilbenes from Vitis vinifera shoots, vitisinol C (1) and (E)-cis-miyabenol C (2), and six known compounds: piceatannol, resveratrol, (E)-ε-viniferin (trans-ε-viniferin), ω-viniferin, vitisinol C and (E)-miyabenol C. The structures of these resveratrol derivatives were established on the basis of detailed spectroscopic analysis including nuclear magnetic resonance experiments. All the newly reported compounds were tested for their anti-aggregative activity against amyloid-β fibril formation. Vitisinol C was found to exert a significant activity against amyloid-β aggregation.

CONCLUSION

Vitis vinifera grapevine shoots are potentially interesting as a source of new bioactive stilbenes, such as vitisinol C.

Topoisomerase II-targeting properties of a grapevine-shoot extract and resveratrol oligomers

Grapevine-shoot extracts (GSE), containing trans-resveratrol and resveratrol oligomers, are commercially available as food supplements. Considering the topoisomerase-targeting properties of trans-resveratrol, the question of whether GSE affect these enzymes, thereby potentially causing DNA damage, was addressed. In a decatenation assay, GSE potently suppressed the catalytic activity of topoisomerase IIα (≥5 μg/mL). The resveratrol oligomers ε-viniferin, r2-viniferin, and hopeaphenol, isolated from GSE, were also identified as topoisomerase IIα inhibitors. In the in vivo complexes of enzyme to DNA (ICE) bioassay, neither GSE, r2-viniferin, nor hopeaphenol affected the level of enzyme-DNA intermediates in A431 cells, thus representing catalytic inhibitors rather than topoisomerase poisons. GSE caused moderate DNA strand breaks (≥25 μg/mL) in the comet assay. Taken together, GSE presumably acts as a catalytic inhibitor of topoisomerase II with r2-viniferin and hopeaphenol as potentially contributing constituents. However, the increase of FPG-sensitive sites points to an additional mechanism that may contribute to the DNA-damaging properties of GSE constituents.

Maternal restriction of polyphenols and fetal ductal dynamics in normal pregnancy: an open clinical trial

BACKGROUND

We have recently demonstrated reversal of fetal ductal constriction after dietary maternal restriction of polyphenol-rich foods (PRF), due to its inhibitory action on prostaglandin synthesis.

OBJECTIVE

To test the hyphotesis that normal third trimester fetuses also improve ductus arteriosus dynamics after maternal restriction of polyphenols.

METHODS

Open clinical trial with 46 fetuses with gestational age (GA) > 28 weeks submitted to 2 Doppler echocardiographic studies with an interval of at least 2 weeks, being the examiners blinded to maternal dietary habits. A validated food frequency questionnaire was applied and a diet based on polyphenol-poor foods (<30 mg/100 mg) was recommended. A control group of 26 third trimester fetuses was submitted to the same protocol. Statistics used t test for independent samples.

RESULTS

Mean GA was 33 ± 2 weeks. Mean daily maternal estimated polyphenol intake (DMPI) was 1277 mg, decreasing to 126 mg after dietary orientation (p=0.0001). Significant decreases in systolic (SDV) and diastolic (DDV) ductal velocities, and RV/LV diameters ratio, as well as increase in ductal PI were observed [DSV = 1.2 ± 0.4 m/s (0.7-1.6) to 0.9 ± 0.3 m/s (0.6-1.3) (p = 0.018); DDV = 0.21 ± 0.09 m/s (0.15-0.32) to 0.18 ± 0.06 m/s (0.11-0.25) (p = 0.016); RV/LV ratio = 1.3 ± 0.2 (0.9-1.4) to 1.1 ± 0.2 (0.8-1.3) (p=0.004); ductal PI = 2.2 ± 0.03 (2.0-2.7) to 2.4 ± 0.4(2.2-2.9) (p = 0.04)]. In the control group, with GA of 32 ± 4 weeks, there were no significant differences in DMPI, mean SDV, DDV, PI and RV/LV ratio.

CONCLUSION

The oriented restriction of third trimester maternal ingestion of polyphenol-rich foods for a period of 2 weeks or more improve fetal ductus arteriosus flow dynamics and right ventricular dimensions.

Dietary exposure to silver nanoparticles in Sprague-Dawley rats: effects on oxidative stress and inflammation

Due to undesirable hazardous interactions with biological systems, we evaluated the effect of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) intake on oxidative stress and inflammation. Rats received for 81 days a standard diet (Controls) or a standard diet plus 500 mg/d/kg BW AgNPs. We assayed plasma lipids, and oxidative stress was assessed by measuring liver and heart superoxide anion production (O₂°⁻) and liver malondialdehyde levels (MDA). Antioxidant status was appraised using plasma paraoxonase activity (PON), plasma antioxidant capacity (PAC) and liver superoxide dismutase activity (SOD). Liver inflammatory cytokines TNFα and IL-6 levels and plasma alanine aminotransferase (ALT) were assayed. Compared with Controls, AgNPs raised cholesterolemia (9.5%), LDL-cholesterol (30%), and lowered triglycerides (41%). They also increased liver (30%) and cardiac (41%) O₂°⁻ production, reduced PON activity (15%) and raised liver TNFα (9%) and IL-6 (∼12%). Plasma ALT activity rose (12%) after treatment with AgNPs. However, PAC and liver MDA and SOD activity were unchanged. These features indicate that exposure to 500 mg/d/kg BW of AgNPs results in liver damage by a dysregulation of lipid metabolism, highlighting liver and heart as the most sensitive organs to the deleterious effects. Our findings also demonstrate for the first time the oxidative and inflammatory effects of dietary AgNPs.