Antitumor effects of table grape extracts

Grape (Vitis vinifera L.) is a fruit rich in polyphenols, bioactive compounds able to prevent cancer, reduce tumorigenesis, and influence critical cancer-related pathways. This research shows the main results obtained in our previous works: 1) the characterization of the polyphenolic content and antioxidant activity of two table grape skin extracts (GSEs), Autumn Royal, and Egnatia; 2) the GSEs effects on Caco2 colon cancer cell; 3) the effects of GSEs on the lipid composition and the fluidity of the cell membrane. These in vitro studies suggested that Autumn Royal and Egnatia contain high levels of polyphenols, possess antiproliferative activity on the Caco2 human colon carcinoma cell line and inhibit cell migration by acting on membrane fatty acids composition. Moreover, these results highlighted that the new grape variety Egnatia is an exciting source of phenolic compounds that could interest the food and pharmaceutical industries

Gene expression signature induced by grape intake in healthy subjects reveals wide-spread beneficial effects on peripheral blood mononuclear cells

Abstract Using a transcriptomic approach, we performed a pilot study in healthy subjects to evaluate the changes in gene expression induced by grape consumption. Blood from twenty subjects was collected at baseline (T0), after 21 days of grape-rich diet (T1) and after one-month washout (T2). Gene expression profiling of peripheral blood mononuclear cells from six subjects identified 930 differentially expressed transcripts. Gene functional analysis revealed changes (at T1 and/or T2) suggestive of antithrombotic and anti-inflammatory effects, confirming and extending previous finding on the same subjects. Moreover, we observed several other favourable changes in the transcription of genes involved in crucial processes such as immune response, DNA and protein repair, autophagy and mitochondrial biogenesis. Finally, we detected significant changes in many long non-coding RNAs genes, whose regulatory functions are being increasingly appreciated. Altogether, our data suggest that a grape diet may exert its beneficial effects by targeting different strategic pathways

Soil management affects the nutraceutical properties of Primitivo's grape pomace

Soil management is a sustainable agronomic practice to produce grapes, wine, and grape pomace with a low environmental impact in viticulture, affecting soil microbial biodiversity, organic matter, and healthy roots. Grape pomace is the main by-product of winemaking and a valuable source of natural phytochemicals. This research aimed to evaluate the phenolic content and antioxidant activity of pomace deriving from the microvinification of the Primitivo wine grapes obtained by four different soil management techniques: cover crop (C), soil mechanical tillage (T), green manure (G) and farm soil management (F). The content of total phenolic compounds and anthocyanins in grapes and wines is the highest with the vineyard cover cropping system. Moreover, grape pomace derived by cover crop soil management shows a significant abundance of these molecules and a more elevated antioxidant activity than the other soil technique

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Abstract Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

Retrospective evaluation of whole exome and genome mutation calls in 746 cancer samples

Funder: NCI U24CA211006Abstract: The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) curated consensus somatic mutation calls using whole exome sequencing (WES) and whole genome sequencing (WGS), respectively. Here, as part of the ICGC/TCGA Pan-Cancer Analysis of Whole Genomes (PCAWG) Consortium, which aggregated whole genome sequencing data from 2,658 cancers across 38 tumour types, we compare WES and WGS side-by-side from 746 TCGA samples, finding that ~80% of mutations overlap in covered exonic regions. We estimate that low variant allele fraction (VAF < 15%) and clonal heterogeneity contribute up to 68% of private WGS mutations and 71% of private WES mutations. We observe that ~30% of private WGS mutations trace to mutations identified by a single variant caller in WES consensus efforts. WGS captures both ~50% more variation in exonic regions and un-observed mutations in loci with variable GC-content. Together, our analysis highlights technological divergences between two reproducible somatic variant detection efforts

Phenolic characterization and antioxidant capacity of ten autochthonous vines grown in southern Italy / Caratterizzazione fenolica e potere antiossidante di dieci vitigni autoctoni allevati nel Sud Italia

In plant foods are naturally present some bioactive compounds, that are compounds having or not nutritional value and with biological activity that is expressed in reducing the risk of developing many chronic diseases, therefore leading a key protective effect on our health. Within this group of compounds the antioxidants are included. The importance of antioxidants contained in food is associated with their ability to exert in vivo, in the human body, beneficial effects against chronical- degenerative diseases induced by oxidative stress and age. It has been attributed a positive role to grape polyphenols in terms of increase in endogenous antioxidant defenses, thanks to regulation of genes coding for key enzymes of antioxidant system. For the polyphenols it has also been recognized a specific action of tumor growth inhibition, linked to the modulation of enzymes involved in carcinogenesis or to the inhibition of growth factors and cell proliferation activation. After carbohydrates and acids, the phenolic compounds represent the largest group among grape constituents. The synthesis of these secondary metabolites takes place in two distinct phases of vine growth cycle: fruit set and maturation. The polyphenolic composition contributes to grapes and wine sensory properties, such as color, flavor, astringency, and determines the antioxidant capacity of the extract. These metabolites are mainly related to the variety and their content is influenced by climatic and environmental factors. Among the polyphenols, anthocyanins, hydroxicinnamiltartaric acids, flavonols, flavans, stilbene and resveratrol are of particular interest. Despite numerous studies in the vine-wine industry on polyphenols quantification and qualification, we don't know much about the environmental conditions that affect their synthesis in grapes and how they are extracted from it in wine production. Therefore, the aim of this work has been the study of antioxidant property and phenolic profile of ten autochthonous vines grown in two different areas of South Italy. By spectrophotometric analysis it has been possible to analyze quali-quantitive characteristics of such substances, while by ORAC method (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) we have measured, in vitro, the antioxidant action. The oenological potential has been evaluated, in relation to polyphenols content, of ten Vitis Vinifera varieties belonging to autochthonous vines of Basilicata, grown in espalier and tent in two areas: in the vineyard of Val d'Agri (PZ), in Basilicata, and in South-East Bari area, in Rutigliano (Ba), in Puglia. The ten varieties belonging to Southern Italy autochthonous vines include four black grapes and six white grapes. Data obtained on total polyphenols content, view of the considerable variability encountered, allow us to affirm that the polyphenolic ripening of wine grapes, thus the reaching of the maximum level, is very influenced by the “terroir”, defined as the cultivation area or environment, by season trend, by cultivation techniques and by the different vines nutritional conditions. The same holds true for the antioxidant activity of the 10 wine grapes varieties of this study, since it is closely related to the polypheno

Nutrigenomics to reveal the effects of grape consumption in healthy subjects

The Mediterranean diet places fruit and vegetables as the basis of daily nutrition. Table grape is a typical fruit of the Mediterranean tradition and is consumed worldwide. The CREA Research Centre for Viticulture and Enology has conducted nutrigenomics studies in recent years to investigate the effects of table grapes on human health. This note summarises two trials in which healthy subjects ate the black seedless grape Autumn Royal for three consecutive weeks. For our first nutrigenomic study, we used the microarray technique to analyze thousands of genes' expressions simultaneously. The results showed that 463 genes were modulated, and one month after the end of the grape-rich diet, this number almost doubled, reaching 849 genes. Furthermore, more than 200 of these genes are non-coding RNAs important in regulating gene expression. The second nutrigenomic study was conducted to evaluate the effects of grape intake on the expression of microRNAs, identifying 20 circulating microRNAs modulated, most of which were implicated in cancer development. Our results showed that grape intake exerts beneficial effects by modulating genes involved in critical physiological processes such as the immune response, inflammation, autophagy, DNA repair, and mitochondrial functionality

Grape intake reduces thrombin generation and enhances plasma fibrinolysis. Potential role of circulating procoagulant microparticles

Phytochemicals contained in grapes down-regulate several prothrombotic pathways in vitro. We evaluated the effect of grape consumption on coagulation and fibrinolysis in healthy volunteers. Thirty subjects were enrolled: 20 were given grape (5 g/kg body weight/day for 3 weeks), while 10 served as controls. Blood samples were taken at baseline (T0), at the end of the grape diet (T1) and after 4-week wash-out (T2). Grape intake caused a significant decrease of the procoagulant and inflammatory responses of whole blood and/or mononuclear cells to bacterial lipopolysaccharide at both T1 and T2. At plasma level, grape diet decreased thrombin generation at T1 and T2, largely through a reduction in the number and/or activity of procoagulant microparticles. This anticoagulant effect resulted in the formation of clots that were more susceptible to fibrinolysis, mainly because of a lesser activation of thrombin activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor. No difference in any variables was detected in controls at the time points considered. In conclusion, chronic grape consumption induces sustained anticoagulant and profibrinolytic effects with potential benefits for human health

Phenolic content and in vitro antifungal activity of unripe grape extracts from agro-industrial wastes

The antifungal activity of unripe grape extracts from agro-industrial wastes has been evaluated against several strains of Candida spp. and dermatophytes. All the extracts tested showed antifungal activity. The geometric mean MIC ranged from 53.58 to 214.31 μg/mL for Candida spp. and from 43.54 to 133.02 μg/mL for dermatophytes. The chemical analyses have been carried out using Liquid Chromatograph equipped with a DAD and MS detectors. Flavan-3-ols were the main metabolites within all samples ranged from 3.3 to 6.8 mg/g fresh weight. For Candida spp. highest negative significant correlation has been found between MICs and polymeric flavan-3-ols (r = −0.842; p &lt; 0.001) and for dermatophytes between MICs and caffeoyl derivatives (r = −0.962; p &lt; 0.01). The results indicate that total extracts obtained from unripe grapes, a large source of waste material derived from the wine industry, could be used as a cheap source of value-added products