Resveratrol in Plants

Dear Colleagues,

Among phenolic compounds, resveratrol has become famous since it was associated with the so-called French paradox. This antioxidant compound was described as active against cancer, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases, diabetes, inflammation, and able to promote the longevity of different types of organisms. In plants, resveratrol is a phytoalexin or a phytoanticipin, depending on the species or the plant organs considered, and the compound exerts antifungal properties. Its biosynthesis could be provoked or enhanced by biotic or abiotic stresses, and its presence in the plant kingdom is limited to certain species, those that possess the STS (stilbene synthase) enzymes. We can mention Vaccinium sp. (blueberries, cranberries, etc.), Pinus sp., Japanese knotweed (Fallopia japonica syn. Polygonum cuspidatum), peanuts and cocoa, and Vitis sp. (V. vinifera, V. labrusca, etc.) as examples. The detection of resveratrol in red wine was the basis of the French paradox. Present as a free or in a glucosylated form in plants, resveratrol could be transformed in many derivatives by methoxylation (pterostilbene), dimerization (e-, d-viniferins, pallidol, etc.) and oligomerization conducing to a very large family, such as resveratrol trimers, tetramers, pentamers or hexamers. The biosynthesis of such complex molecules is not yet elucidated at the enzymatic and molecular level.

This Special Issue will thus be particularly dedicated to the study of resveratrol and its derivatives (monomers and oligomers) in plants, including also plant cell tissue and organ cultures. The production, biosynthesis (and regulation), extraction, characterization (including metabolomics), and biological activities in plants of these phytostilbenes are topics of interest in this Special Issue of Plants. All works including research papers and reviews related to these items will be considered for publication.

Dr. Eric Courot
Guest Editor

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• Resveratrol and derivatives
• Phytostilbenes and plant defense mechanisms
• Biosynthesis of resveratrol and derivatives (monomers and oligomers)
• Extraction and purification
• Chemical analysis
• Biological activity in plants (antifungal, antibacterial activities)
• Occurrence of resveratrol and oligomers in plants
• Bioproduction (plant systems)