Ricerc@Sapienza

Grapevine ( Vitis vinifera ) is one of the most important fruit crops of the past and present world, both economically and culturally. The wild and domesticated forms, respectively Vitis vinifera subsp. sylvestris and V. vinifera subsp. vinifera , differ by an array of traits, including the form of their seeds that may be retrieved in archaeological assemblages. These are smaller, rounder and with a shorter stalk in the case of wild grapevine, and larger, more elongated and less sharply sculptured in the cultivated varieties [1].

Grape quality and yield are affected by bunch rot disease, caused by the necrotrophic fungus Botrytis cinerea. Primary infection often occurs at blooming, although the fungus remains quiescent until maturity and egresses at ripening, causing bunch rot. The molecular dialogue between B. cinerea and the grapevine inflorescence/berry from bloom until maturity is not completely elucidated, although its understanding is vital to implement proper management. In this study, a molecular characterization of the B.

The chemical treatment called “chemotherapy of plants” consists in the in vivo administration of substances able to interfere with viral replication. The current availability of synthetic molecules with a high chemotherapeutic index, i.e. with a high ratio between the maximum concentration tolerated and the minimum effective, together with the possibility to further widen the therapeutic window by the use of appropriate nanocarriers, seems to open on the application level of a novel chemical approach to treat plant viral infections.

Phenolic compounds, the most widely distributed class of natural products in the plants, show several biological properties including antifungal activity. Phenolics contained in grapes can be classified in two main groups, flavonoids and non-flavonoids compounds. Variability and yield extraction of phenolic and polyphenolic compounds from different matrices of Vitis vinifera depends of cultivar, climate, soil condition and process technology.

In the last years, many studies on absorption and cell uptake of nanoparticles by plants have been conducted, but the understanding of the internalization mechanisms is still largely unknown.

The objective of the present work was to synthesize biopolymeric nanoparticles (NPs) entrapping the resistance-inductor methyl jasmonate (MeJA) to be employed as a novel and alternative strategy in integrated pest management. NPs were prepared by using a continuous fow microfuidic reactor that allows to precisely control some features that are crucial for applications such as size, polydispersion, morphology and reproducibility.

Polymeric nanoparticle-based carriers are promising agents to deliver drugs to cells. Vitis vinifera phenolic compounds are known for their antifungal activity against Candida albicans. The aim of the present study was to investigate the antifungal activity of pterostilbene or crude extracts from non-fermented grape pomace, entrapped in poly(lactic-co-glycolic) acid nanoparticles (NPs), with diameters of 50 and 150 nm, on Candida biofilm. The fluorescent probe coumarin 6 was used to study the uptake of poly(lactic-co-glycolic)acid (PLGA) NPs in planktonic cells and biofilm.

Vitis rupestris is used as rootstock or to obtain hybrids with Vitis vinifera, due to its resistance to certain pathogens. Its resistance mechanisms are poorly understood, while it is known that stilbene neo?synthesis is a central defense strategy in V. vinifera. In the present study, the response to methyl jasmonate (MeJa) and light treatment in terms of stilbene biosynthesis and the expression of genes involved in polyphenol biosynthesis was investigated in V. vinifera and V. rupestris cells.

The antifungal activity of unripe grape extracts from agro-industrial wastes has been evaluated against several strains of Candida spp. and dermatophytes. All the extracts tested showed antifungal activity. The geometric mean MIC ranged from 53.58 to 214.31 ?g/mL for Candida spp. and from 43.54 to 133.02 ?g/mL for dermatophytes. The chemical analyses have been carried out using Liquid Chromatograph equipped with a DAD and MS detectors. Flavan-3-ols were the main metabolites within all samples ranged from 3.3 to 6.8 mg/g fresh weight. For Candida spp.