VITICULTURAL FACTORS AND RESVERATROL IN GRAPES AND WINE

The resveratrol is a phenolic compound synthesised by the herbaceous parts and by the skins and berry and is believed to have health properties. This substance belongs to the chemical species of the stilbenes (diphenylethylene) which includes other compounds as well like the piceatannol, the piceid, the pterostilbene, the viniferine and the pallidol, which are produced by the plant as a defence from biotic and abiotic stress especially after fungal attacks. The research made on the activity of the resveratrol on the human organism, after consumption either as grape or the transformed product (especially wine), highlight various positive effects for the health, like the reduction in cardio vascular incidence, and a preventive action against cancer. The concentration of resveratrol in the grape is related to different viticulture factors, like the grape variety, the rootstock, the soil, the climate, and the cultural techniques, all discussed in the present article.