Resveratrol and Immune Cells: A Link to Improve Human Health.

The use of polyphenols as adjuvants in lowering risk factors for various debilitating diseases has been investigated in recent years due to their possible antioxidant action. Polyphenols represent a fascinating and relatively new subject of research in nutraceuticals and nutrition, with interest rapidly expanding since they can help maintain health by controlling metabolism, weight, chronic diseases, and cell proliferation. Resveratrol is a phenolic compound found mostly in the pulp, peels, seeds, and stems of red grapes. It has a wide variety of biological actions that can be used to prevent the beginning of various diseases or manage their symptoms. Resveratrol can influence multiple inflammatory and non-inflammatory responses, protecting organs and tissues, thanks to its interaction with immune cells and its activity on SIRT1. This compound has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-apoptotic, neuroprotective, cardioprotective, anticancer, and antiviral properties, making it a potential adjunct to traditional pharmaceutical therapy in public health. This review aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of resveratrol in terms of active biological effects and mechanism of action in modifying the immune cellular response to promote human psychophysical health.

Resveratrol differentially modulates immune responses in human THP-1 monocytes and macrophages.

Resveratrol (Res), a natural polyphenol compound found in grapes and red wine, has been shown to exhibit anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anticarcinogenic effects. However, proinflammatory/tumor-promoting properties of Res have also been reported, rendering the polyphenol's reported therapeutic benefits less convincing and controversial. To evaluate the underlying plausible factors contributing to the differential immunomodulatory effects imparted by Res, herein, we investigated, at both physiological and pharmacological doses, the in vitro effects of Res on cell survival/proliferation, inflammatory genes, and cytokine production in human monocytic cell line (THP-1) and phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate differentiated human THP-1-derived macrophages. We hypothesized that the differential effects observed in monocytes and macrophages may largely depend on dietary vs pharmacological doses of Res, duration of treatment, and the target cells it acts upon. Our data showed that Res, at physiological concentrations, inhibited proliferation of THP-1 monocytes with S phase arrest. On the other hand, at pharmacological concentrations, Res induced cell apoptosis and caused G0/G1 phase arrest. Additionally, Res showed differential effects on proinflammatory cytokine expression and production measured by reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, respectively, in THP-1 monocytes vs macrophages: promoting inflammation in monocytes while exhibiting anti-inflammatory effects in macrophages. Comparative analysis on Res and 2 other phytochemicals, pterostilbene and genistein, revealed that the immunomodulatory effects of Res were consistent with those observed in pterostilbene and not genistein. Our results reveal a pleiotropic immunomodulatory property of Res that is dose-time-target cell-dependent and thus serve as a caution for the use of Res in the treatment of inflammatory diseases.

Development of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and a dipstick assay for the rapid analysis of trans-resveratrol in grape berries.

trans-Resveratrol, a natural polyphenol present in grapes, has many beneficial effects to human health. However, measurement of trans-resveratrol is technically complicated and time-consuming. In the present study, we obtained a sensitive and specific monoclonal antibody (mAb), namely 3C9, against trans-resveratrol. An indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (icELISA) was developed, with 50% inhibitory concentration and working range of 1.0 ng/mL and 0.19-4.9 ng/mL, respectively. A lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA) based on 3C9 was also developed for the semiquantitative detection of trans-resveratrol in an indicator range of 50-100 ng/mL. Average recoveries of trans-resveratrol spiked in red and green grape berries samples were respectively 88-107% and 83-102% by icELISA. The icELISA and LFIA were applied for determination of trans-resveratrol in grape berries. The results were highly consistent with those determined by high-performance liquid chromatography analysis (R2 = 0.9997). Therefore, we conclude that the immunoassay methods are suitable for the large-scale screening of trans-resveratrol in grape quality breeding.