Carotenoids are uniquely functional polyene pigments ubiquitous in nature; aside from being responsible for the color of a wide variety of vegetables, interest is being focused on food carotenoids due to their likely health benefits. From analytical point of view, it is important to unequivocally identify individual carotenoid compounds in many food stuffs. Therefore, isolation of standards from natural sources must be encouraged for accurate identifications. Like many fruits, mature grape berries contain numerous carotenoid compounds, mostly found in the skin at levels two to three times higher than in the pulp. Carotenoid compounds in a typical wine grape variety (Negroamaro) grown in Apulian region were investigated by reversed-phase C(30) (RP-30) HPLC-DAD-MS (ESI(+)) analysis. As a consequence of an unusual ionization process of carotenoids, their mass spectra registered in the positive ion mode comprised both protonated molecules and molecular ion radicals with little fragmentation. Additionally, selective collision-induced dissociation (CID) experiments, together with fine structures of the UV-vis spectra, were used to differentiate structural and geometrical isomers. This technique allowed the simultaneous determination of regio- and cis-isomers of lutein (zeaxanthin, 9Z and 9'Z-lutein) and a cis-isomer of β-carotene (9Z- β-carotene), 5,6-epoxy xanthophylls (violaxanthin, (9'Z)-neoxanthin, lutein-5,6-epoxide) and 5,8-epoxy xanthophylls diasteroisomers (neochrome, auroxanthin, luteoxanthin, flavoxanthin, chrysanthemaxanthin).

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Grapes are economically the most important fruit species in the world and approximately 30% of its production is used as fresh fruit. Because of the very important role of flavonoids in food quality as well as their health-promoting properties, and considering that our experiments were performed along 3 consecutive years, gathered results in this research are quite promising to give a useful information on the flavonoid contents and their evolution in 5 seedless table grapes that are widespread in Mediterranean regions but also in California and South America, and are grown in a viticultural climate (Apulia, South Italy) very close to some regions of Spain, Turkey, Tunisia, and Israel.

In recent years, nutraceuticals have gained great popularity, owing to their physiological and potential health effects, such as anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, antioxidant, and prebiotic effects, and their regulation of lipid metabolism. Since the Mediterranean diet is a nutritionally recommended dietary pattern including high-level consumption of nutraceuticals, this review aimed to summarize the main results obtained by our in vitro and in vivo studies on the effects of the major constituents of the Mediterranean diet (i.e., extra virgin olive oil compounds, polyunsaturated fatty acids, and fruit components). Based on experimental studies, the therapeutic purpose of nutraceuticals depends on their bioavailability, solubility, toxicity, and delivery system. This review provides more in-depth knowledge on the effects linked to nutraceuticals administration on human health, focusing the gastrointestinal tract and suggesting specific dietary components for personalized adjuvant therapies.

Scope The study aims to investigate the effects of fresh table grape consumption in healthy subjects on circulating levels of the most common human microRNAs (miRNAs). The regulatory network governed by these modulated miRNAs is also investigated. Methods and Results Autumn Royal table grape, used in this study, is chosen for its high polyphenolic content and antioxidant properties. The study is a randomized controlled trial, in which 40 consecutive subjects are recruited on a voluntary basis and randomly assigned to two groups of the study, the control group, receiving only dietary recommendations and a grape group receiving a daily dose of 5 g of fresh table grape per kg of body weight for 21 days. All analyses are performed at baseline and after 21 days of dietary treatment. Circulating miRNAs levels are detected by Real‐Time quantitative PCR (RT‐qPCR) followed by bioinformatic functional analysis. The study identifies 20 circulating miRNAs differentially expressed in healthy subjects after grape intake, and in particular, 18 of 20 are down‐regulated and 2 are up‐regulated. Conclusion The dietary intake of table grape affects circulating miRNAs levels in healthy subjects, particularly the miRNAs related to pathways involved in counteracting cancer development, including gastrointestinal cancers.