Antioxidant and calmodulin-inhibitory activities of phenolic components infruit wines and its biotechnological implications

Fruits are rich sources of anthocyanins, flavonoids and phenols that are im portant nutraceutical components. Processed products of various fruits such as wines and juices, also contain these nutraceuticals, and have been prop osed to be the primary components that provide health-beneficiary effects t o the cardiovascular system. In the present study, we have evaluated the an tioxidant and calmodulin-inhibitory effects of three fruit wines and a red grape wine to provide a comparison in their nutraceutical properties. Using in vitro systems that generate superoxide radicals and hydroxyl radicals, ail the wines and their partially purified phenolic extracts were demonstra ted to possess strong superoxide and hydroxyl radical scavenging properties , On the basis of specific phenolic content, the summer cherry, blackberry and blueberry wines were 30-40% more efficient in superoxide radical scaven ging than red grape wine. Similarly, blueberry wine demonstrated considerab ly high hydroxyl radical scavenging efficiency than the other wines. The fl avonoid aglycones such as catechin and naringenin, were as efficient or mor e in scavenging superoxide radicals, as ascorbate. As well, these compounds also scavenged hydroxyl radicals, as or more effectively than melatonin, a known hydroxyl radical scavenger. All the wines had components that inhibi ted calcium and calmodulin-promoted phosphodiesterase activity, indicating their potential to interfere with the calcium second messenger function. Bl ueberry, blackberry and red wine components were more effective in the inhi bition of calmodulin-promoted phosphodiesterase than those from summer cher ry wine. Active oxygen scavenging or calmodulin-inhibitory properties appea r to be associated with a variety of wine components that may provide syner gistic action than any single components in them. This study paves way for the potential use of fermentation biotechnology to optimize the enzymatic r elease and levels of nutritionally important phenolic components in fruit w ines.