CHARACTERIZATION OF SKIN POWDER FROM GRAPE POMACE: A NATURAL REMEDY AGAINST DEGENERATIVE AND INFLAMMATORY DISEASES

Introduction: Wine grape pomace (WGP), the byproduct of wine making, is a good source of polyphenols, dietary fiber, metals, and may be incorporated into various food products as a functional ingredient. This study investigated the effects of different drying methods and storage up to 6 months on the retention of polyphenols and essential metals in two types of red WGP skin. The biological properties of WGP polyphenol extracts were also analysed in inflamed human cultured endothelial cells. Material & Methods: Antioxidant activity, total phenols content, polyphenol and anthocyanin analyses were carried out (Gerardi et al., 2015; D'Introno et al. 2009). Metal concentrations were measured using the ICP-AES technique (Scortichini et al., 2018). Biological activity of WGP polyphenol extracts were evaluated through the expression of endothelial adhesion molecules (VCAM-1, ICAM-1 and E-Selectin) by EIA (Calabriso et al., 2016). Results: The different drying methods tested showed similar polyphenol contents and antioxidant activity of two WGP skin. The WGP polyphenol extracts significantly reduced the endothelial adhesion molecules expression in endothelial cells stimulated by lipopolysaccharide. Conclusion: Our findings appreciate the grape skins pomace as rich source of bioactive compounds with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity and suggest their exploitation as functional ingredients.