Avaliação da atividade antioxidante, antiinflamatória e analgésica de sementes de resíduos de vinificação

Abstract

The worldwide wine production is around 149 millions of hectoliters per year which generate around 13% by weight of the grapes processed as wastes, which are generally used as fertilizer or simply discarded. These residues are sources of phenolic compounds that contribute to the prevention of several diseases, including cancer, atherosclerosis and neurodegenerative disorders. This work evaluated the total phenolic content, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities of aqueous grape seed extracts from winery wastes of Vitis labrusca (cv. Bordo and Isabella) and Vitis vinifera (cv. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot). The major phenolic compounds found in extracts were (+)-catechin, (-)-epicatechin, (-)-epigallocatechin, procyanidins dimers B1, B2, B3, B4 and gallic acid. All extracts showed an important antioxidant activity both in vitro and in vivo using eukaryotic cells of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. This effect showed a positive correlation with total phenolic content, suggesting that these compounds are responsible, at least in part, for the biological benefits observed. None of the extracts showed analgesic activity, however, all extracts were able to diminish the migration of lymphocytes in rats treated with carrageenan. These data suggest that it is possible to obtain aqueous extracts from seeds of winery by-products (both from V. vinifera and V. labrusca) with important biological activity.