Water and nutritional savings shape non-structural carbohydrates in grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) cuttings

Climate changes have important consequences in viticulture, heat waves accompanied by periods of drought are encountered more and more frequently. This study aims to evaluate the single and combined effect of water deficit and high temperatures on the thiol precursors biosynthesis in Sauvignon blanc grapes. For this purpose, a protocol has been developed for the cultivation of berries on a solid substrate. The berries, collected at three different times starting from veraison and grown in vitro, were subjected to 4 different treatments: control (C), water stress (WS), heat stress (HS), combined water and heat stress (WSHS). Water stress was simulated by adding abscisic acid to the culture medium, while different temperatures, respectively 25°C and 35°C, were managed with two illuminated climatic chambers.

Wine is one of the most representative components of Mediterranean diet. Moderate wine intake together with food, has been positively correlated with reduced risk of many chronic diseases. This beneficial effect seems to be ascribed to elevated polyphenolic content of wine [1]. Traditional approaches for the identification of wine biomarkers consumption include targeted metabolomics that focuses on the quantification of well-defined metabolites, losing a valuable information about a massive number of compounds. On the other hand, untargeted metabolomics can disclose a large quantity of signals corresponding to potential biomarkers in a single analysis with high sensitivity and resolution.

Nitrogen (N) is quite important nutrient in grapevine development and must quality, but under Mediterranean climatic conditions, available soil water (ASW) during grapevine development can also influence vigour and must quality. The aim was to determine the influence of soil nitrate (NO3-) availability on N foliar, yield, and must quality in vineyards with similar available water holding capacity (AWC). For this purpose, four cv. Tempranillo (Vitis vinifera L.) vineyards were selected. All of them are placed in Uruñuela municipality (La Rioja, Spain), separated less than 2.5 km and in a slope <1 %, in soils with similar soil chemistry properties and with similar rooting depth (ranging between 105 cm and 110 cm).

Less and less chemical plant protection products are approved by the E U. Plant pathogenic fungi become increasingly resistant to the active ingredients that have been around for a long time. Besides, there is a valid demand for effective products that can be applied in organic cultivation.
We examined Metschnikowia strains under laboratory conditions in order to find effective strains against B. cinerea. The antimicrobial mechanism of these yeasts is based on the competition for the ferric ions from the environment. Metschnikowia cells release the pulcherriminic acid which chelates with Fe3+, forming the pigment pulcherrimin.

Proanthocyanidins are important phenolic fraction for wine quality, contributing to astringency, bitterness and color. Their metabolism begins in the mouth and continues throughout the gastrointestinal tract; however, most of them are accumulated in the colon where are metabolized by the intestinal microbiota, giving rise to a whole series of phenolic acids that may have greater activity at physiological level than the precursors[1]. This study aimed to evaluate in vitro the bioaccessibility of proanthocyanidins in a red wine developed by Bodegas Pradorey, as well as to evaluate the potential effect of intestinal microbiota on polyphenols metabolism identifying and quantifying secondary metabolites.