The distribution of anthocyanins in grape (Vitis vinifera L.) bunches from the Sangiovese cultivar was measured nondestructively by chlorophyll fluorescence imaging using two excitation light bands at 550 and 650 nm in sequence. The pixel intensity in the derived logarithm of the fluorescence excitation ratio image was directly related, by an exponential function (r2 = 0.93), to the anthocyanin...

BACKGROUND Genomic data release for the grapevine has increased exponentially in the last five years. The Vitis vinifera genome has been sequenced and Vitis EST, transcriptomic, proteomic, and metabolomic tools and data sets continue to be developed. The next critical challenge is to provide biological meaning to this tremendous amount of data by annotating genes and integrating them within the...

A seed-specific 2S albumin gene and its promoter region of grape (Vitis vinifera L.) were isolated using an improved thermal asymmetric interlaced PCR that allowed efficient amplification of target sequence of up to 3 kbp in length directly from genomic DNA. The 2S albumin VvAlb1 (for V. vinifera 2S albumin 1) gene from different grape cultivars encompasses a coding region of 504-540 nucleotide...

Appearance of a lag period dependent on pH in the expression of the catecholase activity of a polyphenoloxidase extracted in a latent state from Airen grape (Vitis vinifera L.) berries, is revealed, suggesting the hysteretic nature of the enzyme. The lag time was independent of enzyme concentration, indicating that slow pH-induced conformational changes in the protein must occur during assay. R...

The necrotrophic fungus Botrytis cinerea is a major threat to grapevine cultivation worldwide. A screen of 41 Vitis genotypes for leaf resistance to B. cinerea suggested species independent variation and revealed 18 resistant Chinese wild Vitis genotypes, while most investigated V. vinifera, or its hybrids, were susceptible. A particularly resistant Chinese wild Vitis, "Pingli-5" (V. sp. [Qinli...

The resistance of wild Vitis germplasm, including Chinese and American wild Vitis and Vitis vinifera cultivars, to powdery mildew (Uncinula necator Burr.) was evaluated for two consecutive years under natural conditions. Most of the Chinese and North American species displayed a resistant phenotype, whereas all of the European species were highly susceptible. The Alachua and Conquistador access...

BACKGROUND Only a small amount of solar ultraviolet C (UV-C) radiation reaches the Earth's surface. This is because of the filtering effects of the stratospheric ozone layer. Artificial UV-C irradiation is used on leaves and fruits to stimulate different biological processes in plants. Grapes are a major fruit crop and are grown in many parts of the world. Research has shown that UV-C irradiati...

BACKGROUND The aerial parts of Vitis vinifera (common grape or European grape) have been widely used in Ayurveda to treat a variety of common and stress related disorders. In the present investigation, the seed extract of V. vinifera was evaluated for antistress activity in normal and stress induced rats. Furthermore, the extract was studied for nootropic activity in rats and in-vitro antioxida...

During recent years a large annual surplus of grapes has been produced in the United States, and the development of new grape products to take care of this increasing supply is at present an important phase of the grape industry. Because of the general interest in a fruit so abundantly grown, it seemed desirable to study the nutritive value of grapes and grape juices more extensively than had p...