GRAPE SEED EXTRACTS AS PROTECTIVE AGENTS AGAINST THE DAMAGES FROM RADIATIONS

The research developed in this work is part of the PAPARD Project [1] aimed to evaluate the ability of different phenolic extracts to counteract the dangerous effects due to the radiation exposure. The intake of antioxidant extracts can help to protect the astronauts during the space missions but also the common citizens during medical therapies that include exposure to dangerous radiations. The project involved the selection of several herbal extracts or “botanicals” containing different phenols and flavonoids well known for their antioxidant properties and health benefits [2]. Here the results regarding procyanidins in grape seed extracts (GSEs) are reported. The samples were hydroalchoolic extracts of Vitis vinifera cvs Michele Palieri and Italia (cultivated in Italy in 2014 and 2015) and related formulations with inulin or maltodextrins. All the extracts and formulations were irradiated with 140 cSv and their chemical profiles, evaluated in terms of procyanidin content, before and after the radiation treatment, by HPLC-DAD and HPLC-MS-TOF analyses. At the same time, an in vitro evaluation of the antioxidant properties was carried out using the ABTS•+ cation applying pre-selected methods [3,4] after little modifications. The main findings can be summarized as follow: i) the ratio between the monomeric compounds (catechin and epicatechin) and polymeric flavan-3-ols with (Polimeric Degree ≥ 4) was different in the two cultivar; ii) the treatment with a high dose of radiation induced not significant differences in the composition of the extracts; iii) the antioxidant evaluation confirmed that the radiation treatment does not alter the antioxidants capability of the extract of both Vitis vinifera cultivars. These findings can be an useful support to design new dietary supplements for helping the reduction of the adverse effects correlated to ionizing radiation treatment in humans.