(BIOImaging Excellence Programme at Semmelweis University)
Nutritional interventions may highly contribute to the maintenance or restoration
of human health. Grapes (Vitis vinifera) are one of the oldest known beneficial nutritional
components of the human diet. Their high polyphenol content has been proven to enhance
human health beyond doubt in statistics-based public health studies, especially in
the prevention of cardiovascular disease and cancer. The current review concentrates
on presenting and classifying polyphenol bioactive molecules (resveratrol, quercetin,
catechin/epicatechin, etc.) available in high quantities in Vitis vinifera grapes
or their byproducts. The molecular pathways and cellular signaling cascades involved
in the effects of these polyphenol molecules are also presented in this review, which
summarizes currently available in vitro and in vivo experimental literature data on
their biological activities mostly in easily accessible tabular form. New molecules
for different therapeutic purposes can also be synthesized based on existing polyphenol
compound classes available in high quantities in grape, wine, and grape marc. Therefore
an overview of these molecular structures is provided. Novel possibilities as dendrimer
nanobioconjugates are reviewed, too. Currently available in vitro and in vivo experimental
literature data on polyphenol biological activities are presented in easily accessible
tabular form. The scope of the review details the antidiabetic, anticarcinogenic,
antiviral, vasoprotective, and neuroprotective roles of grape-origin flavonoids. The
novelty of the study lies in the description of the processing of agricultural by-products
(grape seeds and skins) of industrial relevance, and the detailed description of the
molecular mechanisms of action. In addition, the review of the clinical therapeutic
applications of polyphenols is unique as no summary study has yet been done.
