Grape (Vitis vinifera L.): health benefits and effects of growing conditions on quality parameters

Abstract Numerous studies support the hypothesis that grape skin extract may have the ability to inhibit health complications such as diabetes, kidney lipotoxicity, prostate cancer, inflammation in the lung, and oxidative damage after exposure to cigarette smoke, etc. The use of grape seed extract in treatments of mice and rats showed the inhibition of lipid peroxidation and DNA fragmentation in brain and liver tissue, and the reduction of myocardial infarct size. In addition, the protective effect of grape seed extract was found on nephrotoxicity, gastrointestinal injury, and regarding the serum chemistry changes. In vitro, the grape seed extract showed inhibition of various human cancer cell lines. Our research with Montenegrin grapevine variety Vranac showed that the quality parameters of grape could be managed by irrigation, during suitable climatic conditions. The results of biological tests with colorectal carcinoma cells lines represent novel information concerning anticancer properties of grape skin extracts.