REDWINE project: use of Chlorella vulgaris to prevent biotic and abiotic stress in Palmela’s region, Portugal, vineyards

Climate change is driving global temperatures up together with a reduction of rainfall, posing a risk to grape yields, wine quality, and threatening the historical viticulture areas of Europe.

The recent development of regulatory genomics has raised increasing interest in plant research since transcriptional regulation of genes plays a pivotal role in many biological processes. By shedding light on the target genes of the various transcription factors (TFs), it is therefore possible to infer the influence they exert on the different molecular mechanisms. In this regard, the attention was focused on WRKYs, a family of TFs almost exclusively found in plant species. In grapevine, WRKYs are involved in several biological processes, playing a key role in berry development, hormonal balance and signalling, biotic and abiotic stresses responses, and secondary metabolites biosynthesis.

The composition and structure of vineyard landscapes significantly affect bird communities and the ecosystem services they provide in agriculture.

Wine cellars are affected by seasonally fluctuating workloads and face challenges especially in the harvest period connected to the required timely processing of the harvested grapes.

Moderate wine consumption may impact several human health aspects, among others as a result of phenolic compounds present in wine and their bioactive properties. The aim of this study was to determine whether six weeks of daily, moderate Teran red wine consumption affects the levels of total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol – HDL, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol – LDL, and triglycerides. Sixty-eight healthy adults (46 women and 22 men) aged 25-64 years voluntarily agreed to participate in the study.