El papel de los factores viticulturales en los atributos saludables de la uva y el vino

[Autom. eng. transl.] It is claimed that grapes and wine have beneficial effects on human health, mainly due to their high polyphenolic content. Polyphenols contain several classes of compounds, which are generally considered effective antioxidants for humans when ingested in the diet, such as hydrokinetic acids, flavonols, anthocyanins, tannins (proanthocyanin) and stilbenes. The latter deserve special attention for their crucial role in the plant: stilbene phytoalexins accumulate in the soft tissues of the vine and are produced in the phenylpropanoid pathway. At the level of the berry (fruit) stilbenes are a product of the skin after having suffered biotic or abiotic stress, and of the seed, of which they are constitutive compounds. The skin of the berry is the main source of stilbenes consumed during the intake of grapes and wine. It is therefore essential to understand in depth the mechanisms of biotic and abiotic elicitors of phytoalexins of stilbene in order to increase their production levels. The study of the metabolomics allows to identify a great variety of stilbenes present in grapes and wine, with possible important repercussions on health. By undergoing the same elicitation pressure, the final concentration of stilbenes in grapes and wine is affected by the decisions made in the practice of viticulture and, in the case of wine, in its production (ie, wine factors) . The most recent statements regarding the role of resveratrol are analyzed, including those related to their effects in prolonging the life of organisms (including humans) when activating Sir-SIRT genes.