New whine

Global warming portends disaster for much of the multibillion-dollar us wine industry; areas suitable for growing premium wine grapes could be reduced by 50 per cent -- and possibly as much as 81 per cent -- by the end of this century, says a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, recently.

Bytes

grapes benefit: Grape seed extract can prove beneficial to people with high blood pressure, according to a study conducted at the University of California Davis in the US. The study is the first human clinical trial to assess the effect of grape seed extract on people with metabolic syndrome, a combination of risk factors that increase the risk for heart disease, including high blood pressure and high blood sugar. The average drop in systolic pressure was 12 points while the diastolic pressure fell by 8 points.

Grapes sans charisma

How would you like a sip of French wine...genetically modified (gm)? The fear in the alification mars the product's appeal. France, famous for its resistance to gm food, recently planted its first gm vines in Alsace in a bid to fight the "court noue" virus that attacks nearly a third of the country's vines.

In Short

toxic taint: Green Indian seedless grapes have been taken off supermarket shelves in Belgium following the detection of high levels of pesticide residues in the product in the Netherlands recently. The Belgian Food Safety Authority took this decision over fears of high chemical residue levels, leading to stomach cramps in children. It has advised people who have bought the grapes not to eat them, but to return them to the shop from where they purchased it.

(un)Healthy drink

some patients may find it strange advice to be told to keep off fruit juice while taking medications. But that is precisely what doctors are telling some sick people -- to stay off grape-fruit juice. Evidence is mounting to show that drinking a glass of grape-fruit juice with some medicines plays havoc with their health as the drugs taken go berserk, instead of having the intended effect on the diseased organ or system.

Desert wine

those who want to produce aromatic wine should head for Israel. Grapes grown in the saline region of Negev Desert produce more aromatic wine than those that have been conventionally cultivated. Ben-Ami Bravdo of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem experimented with different root stocks. He found that a type called Ruggeri was able to grow in saline water, without passing on too much salt to the fruit.

The grape cure

Research just published shows that grapes are a good source of resveratrol, which is a cancer-preventive agent. Resveratrol is a potent cyclooxygenase (COX) inhibitor, which catalyses the formation of prostaglandins, which in addition to stimulating tumour cell growth, also suppresses immune surveillance. Research had earlier shown that resveratrol can inhibit tumour initiation, promotion and progression. Resveratrol is present in concentrations up to 100 microgram/ gram of fresh fruit skins ( Science , Vol 275, No 5297).

Juicy supplement

Grape gains

The European table and wine grape Vitis vinifera contains high levels of tannins and phenols, which interfere with cell culture. These compounds oxidise quickly and promote the decay of grape cells. A group of scientists in Israel have shown that the addition of anti-oxidants like polyvinylpolypyrolidone and dithiothrietol, helps overcome the oxygen stress which results in the death of grape tissue cultures. It has now become possible to genetically engineer grape with resistance against a number of viral and fungal infections, by far the most difficult problems facing viticulture (Nature

The grapes of growth

EIGHTY-year-old Ganapathyrao Mhetre has a fondness for grapes. He is an avid collector of books and journals on grape cultivation. And since 1991, he has experimented with cultivating them organically.