Hydroxytyrosol and oleic acid-induced reactive nitrogen species promotes the activation of the Nrf2 pathway leading to a promotion of fibroblast survival and migration that are essential for the resolution of wound healing.

The Adventure Continue
Thanks for this amazing journey. The adventure continues in 2023, and we count on all in this new year.

Merry Christmas with Science & Wine
Every Sunday Science & Wine post an article about wine and Mediterranean Diet. As Christmas Day is on Sunday we want to offer a gift to all that help this project grow. So we decided to promote a giveaway on our social media. The prize will be a Regular ticket to attend the congress on the 16 of June 2023 in Quinta de Ventozelo.

Epigenetic Changes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae Alters the Aromatic Profile in Alcoholic Fermentation
This post is about a post that investigates and reports for the first time utilizing a non-GMO approach to alter the fermentation process of Pinot Noir wines. The authors experimentally demonstrated that certain dietary compounds possess histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibiting activity and can alter the wine characteristics by potentially altering yeast gene transcription, which was resulted from epigenetic effects. They have previously proposed the term “nutrifermentics” to represent this newly proposed field of research that provides insights on the effect of certain dietary compounds on microbial strains and their potential application in fermentation. This technological approach is a novel way to manipulate microorganisms for innovative food and beverage production with quality attributes catering for consumer’s needs. Using a multidisciplinary approach with an emphasis on food fermentation and biotechnology, this study will be substantially useful and of broad interest to food microbiologists and biotechnologists who seek for innovative concepts with real-world application potential.

Chitosan triggers actin remodelling and activation of defence genes that is repressed by calcium influx in grapevine cells
Fungal diseases of grapevine pose great challenges for global viticulture and require massive plant protection measures. Plant cells are able to sense chitin, a central component of fungal cell walls and respond by activation of basal defence. In this study the authors mapped early defence responses evoked by chitosan, a chitin fragment able to bind to chitin receptors. They found an activation of calcium influx, monitored by extracellular alkalinisation due to a co-transport of protons, remodelling of actin (but not of microtubules), and the activation of transcripts for phytoalexin synthesis, jasmonate-signalling, salicylate signalling, and chitinase. Interestingly, Gadolinium, an inhibitor of calcium influx, can inhibit extracellular alkalinisation in response to chitosan, while the induction of the phytoalexin synthesis transcripts was specifically promoted. In contrast, both DMSO and benzyl alcohol, compounds known to modulate membrane fluidity, partially inhibited the transcript responses to chitosan.

Hydrophobic Eutectic Solvent-Based Dispersive Liquid-Liquid Microextraction Applied to the Analysis of Pesticides in Wine
A green solvent-based DLLME/HPLC-MS method for the determination of 19 pesticides in wine samples has been developed. From the analysis of 11 commercial wines it was found that just in a bio sample the target compounds were not detectable or lower than quantification limit; as for the other samples, the most widespread and abundant pesticides were methoxyfenozide and boscalid, but their levels were much lower than the relative maximum residue levels.

The Mediterranean Diet: An Update of the Clinical Trials
The Mediterranean Diet (MedDiet) is a term used to identify a dietary pattern originating
from the unique multi-millennial interplay between natural food resources and the eating practices
of people living in the Mediterranean basin. The majority of MedDiet’s beneficial effects could be primarily related to its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties as well as the effectiveness of this dietary pattern in controlling waist circumference and obesity. Moreover, strict, and long-lasting adherence to the MedDiet as well as the beneficial effects of specific components (e.g., olive oil or its polyphenols) seem to emerge as useful insights for interventional improvements. These findings present further insights into the MedDiet’s resources and how it could strengthen overall public health.

The wine industry by-products: applications for food industry and health benefits
Each year, 20 million tons of wine by-products are generated, corresponding to 30% of the total quantity of vinified grapes. Wine by-products are a source of healthy bioactive molecules, such as polyphenols and other molecules (pigments, fibers, minerals, etc.). The abundance of bioactive compounds assures a promising future for nutritional foodstuff production. Wine by-products can be used to fortify aromatized waters and infusions, bread, pasta, dairy products, alcohol, sugary beverages, and processed foods. These innovative products are part of the Mediterranean Diet and are of great interest to both human and environmental health. Read more that http://science-and-wine.com/

Xylem anatomy and hydraulic traits in Vitis grafted cuttings in view of their impact on the young grapevine decline
Grapevine grafting is an essential practice in viticulture and over the years, various bench grafting techniques have been developed to mechanize the nursery process and to increase the yield in number of viable cuttings. Bench grafting is a fundamental nursery practice that can potentially affect the quality of propagation material also in young decline associated to grapevine trunk diseases and has been recently reported to influence leaf symptoms development associated with diseases of Esca complex. The study aimed to investigate how three bench grafting methods can influence these phenomena.

Integrating coordination mechanisms in the sustainability assessment of agri-food chains
From now on until our 3rd Science & Wine World Congress, on the first Sunday of each month, it will be published a post about Food Sustainability.
Today it will be about an interesting recent review written by Carlos Moreno-Miranda and Liesbeth Dries. In their paper entitled “Integrating coordination mechanisms in the sustainability assessment of agri-food chains: From a structured literature review to a comprehensive framework” they analyzed the state of the art in the assessment of agri-food supply chain sustainability based on a structured literature review.