Resveratrol

Resveratrol (RSV) or trans-3, 4′, 5-trihydroxystilbene is a natural polyphenol of the stilbene family produced by plants in response to environmental stress, which is found in different fruits (red grape, berries, peanuts, etc.…) and in plant-based foods, in particular in red wine. RSV was initially shown to exhibit anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-proliferative effects in various cell systems, with potential applications in cancer and cardiovascular diseases.

More recent studies established that dietary supplementation with relatively high doses of RSV could provide resistance to obesity, and improve muscular performance, in mice fed a high-fat diet.
Resveratrol  is produced in hudge amount in grapevine skin in response to infection by Bothrytis cinerea. This production of resveratrol blocks the proliferation of the pathogen, thereby acting as a natural antibiotic. Numerous studies have reported interesting properties of trans-resveratrol as a preventive agent against important pathologies i.e. vascular diseases, cancers, viral infection or neurodegenerative processes. Moreover, several epidemiological studies have revealed that resveratrol is probably one of the main microcomponents of wine responsible for its health benefits such as prevention of vaso-coronary diseases and cancer. Resveratrol acts on the process of carcinogenesis by affecting the three phases: tumor initiation, promotion and progression phases and suppresses the final steps of carcinogenesis, i.e. angiogenesis and metastasis. It is also able to activate apoptosis, to arrest the cell cycle or to inhibit kinase pathways. Interestingly, resveratrol does not present any cytotoxicity in animal models. Moreover, concentrations of resveratrol in blood seem to be sufficient for anti-invasive activity.

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