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The phytoalexin production potential of three American Vitis species and that of three cultivars of Vitis vinifera were evaluated in response to UV-C irradiation. Time course changes in resveratrol, piceid, epsilon-viniferin, and pterostilbene contents were studied within 3 days after a short UV-C irradiation. Results show that the two major stilbenes accumulated as a response to UV-C elicitation are resveratrol and epsilon-viniferin, a resveratrol dehydrodimer, the concentration of both compounds usually reaching quantities >100 microgram/g of fresh weight. In contrast, piceid and pterostilbene were constantly produced in low quantities. Owing to the results obtained, the role of stilbene phytoalexins in the resistance of grapevines to diseases is discussed.

A reversed-phase HPLC method useful for the analysis of the grapevine phytoalexins resveratrol, its β-d-glucoside, e-viniferin, and pterostilbene in leaf extracts was developed by coupling diode array detection and fluorometry. Phytoalexins were extracted from UV-irradiated grapevine leaves with methanol/water (80:20) and prepurified on C18 solid phase extraction cartridges. Separation by HPLC was achieved using a C18 column and a gradient elution with acetonitrile and water (from 10 to 85% acetonitrile). Analyses of grapevine leaf extracts were performed by injecting the equivalent of 1 mg of leaf fresh weight. Recovery was nearly 100% for the three stilbenes resveratrol, pterostilbene, and e-viniferin (ranging from 100.2 to 104.8%), and replicate analyses gave coefficients of variation of 0.6−2.5%. Identification of each phytoalexin was accomplished by line spectral comparisons with known standards, and e-viniferin was further characterized by MS and GC/MS. Simultaneously, stilbenes were detected by flu...

A method using HPLC analysis has been used to compare the level of resveratrol and its derivatives, piceid, pterostilbene and epsilon-viniferin, in grapevine berries of three Vitis vinifera varieties. The concentration of these compounds has been evaluated in healthy and Botrytis cinerea infected grape clusters, both in natural vineyard conditions and in response to UV elicitation.