Natural resveratrol bioproduction

Polyphenols form a large family of plant secondary metabolites. Since they are abundant in fruits and vegetables, they form an integral part of the human diet. Diverse health- related effects are attributed to flavonoids, including scavenging of free radicals and modification of enzymatic activities. Consequently, the ingestion of different flavonoid species may be more beneficial for human health than the ingestion of only a few species. However, in most fruit and crop plants, only one or a few flavonoid classes are present. One group of polyphenols believed to have a positive effect on health is the flavonoid- related class of stilbenes, specifically trans -resveratrol and its glucoside piceid. trans -Resveratrol, mainly found in grape, peanut and a few other plants, displays a wide range of biological effects. There is growing interest in the development of plant cell cultures and food crops with tailor made levels and composition of stilbenes, designed for optimal biological effect.