Tomato fruit (Solanum lycopersicum) is a valuable agricultural crop worldwide due to its nutritional value and culinary applications, making it one of the most widely consumed vegetables in the human diet. However, excessive solar UV-B radiation represents a significant factor in decreasing productivity, marketable yields, and fruit quality in tomato crops by causing damage to both DNA and the photosynthetic system, as well as chlorophyll degradation. The application of silicon nanoparticles has been shown to increase tolerance to abiotic stressors, including enhanced UV-B radiation. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the protective effects of foliar silicon nanoparticle (SiNP) application on photosynthetic parameters, photosynthetic pigments, and secondary metabolites under enhanced UV-B stress in tomato plants. Photosynthetic parameters (stomatal conductance to water vapor, net CO₂ assimilation rate, transpiration rate, and intercellular CO₂ molar fraction), biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs), chlorophylls, and carotenoids were evaluated. The application of SiNPs showed beneficial effects on plants grown under ambient UV-B conditions, increasing photosynthetic parameters while also enhancing chlorophyll and carotenoid levels. In plants exposed to enhanced UV-B radiation, SiNP treatment helped to maintain and even improve photosynthetic parameters and stomatal function in leaves while also promoting the accumulation of photosynthetic pigments. Additionally, the application of SiNPs also resulted in a slightly higher content of lycopene and total carotenoids in tomato fruits.

Red grapes are recognized as valuable sources of phenolic compounds with nutritional and technological importance. Anthocyanins strongly influence the color, stability, and antioxidant activity of wines, thereby contributing to both quality and potential health effects. In this study, berries of nine red grapevine cultivars (Alicante Bouschet, Burgund Mare, Busuioacă de Bohotin, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cadarcă, Malbec, Sangiovese, and Syrah) were examined for their anthocyanin composition, total phenolic and flavonoid content, physicochemical parameters, and fatty acid profiles. Anthocyanins were characterized using High Performance Liquid Chromatography coupled with Mass Spectrometry (HPLC-MS), total polyphenols and flavonoids were quantified spectrophotometrically, and fatty acids were determined by Gas Chromatography coupled with Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). Substantial variability was observed across cultivars for the analyzed traits, with nine anthocyanins identified (total levels ranging from 70.79 ± 13.84 to 335.75 ± 87.62 mg malvidin-3-O-glucoside equivalents (MGE) per 100 g fresh weight (FW). Total phenolics ranged from 107.51 ± 11.11 to 432.13 ± 42.91 mg gallic acid equivalents (GAE) per 100 g FW, and flavonoids from 34.23 ± 11.45 to 162.51 ± 39.63 mg catechin equivalents (CE) per 100 g FW. Ten fatty acids were identified, with linoleic acid being the most abundant. Alicante Bouschet and Burgund Mare showed the highest levels of total anthocyanins, polyphenols, and flavonoids, while Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Sangiovese exhibited the richest profiles of polyunsaturated fatty acids, together highlighting their potential as valuable sources of bioactive and nutritional compounds for functional food applications. Cabernet Franc and Sangiovese, characterized by higher titratable acidity and balanced pH, showed favorable traits for producing stable, high-quality wines. Analysis of the data further grouped the cultivars based on their chemical and lipid profiles. Overall, these findings show the notable biochemical differences among the red grapevine cultivars and their potential uses in food and wine production.

Grapes are valued for their high anthocyanin content, but the biological efficacy of these compounds is limited by their low digestive recovery. This study evaluated whether milk caseins improve the digestive recovery of anthocyanins from three red grape (Vitis vinifera L.) cultivars. Anthocyanins were profiled by HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS, total phenolic and flavonoid contents and antioxidant capacity were determined spectrophotometrically, the effect on cell viability was assessed on B16-F10 murine melanoma cells, and the digestive recovery of anthocyanins was measured after standardized static in vitro digestion (INFOGEST protocol) with and without α- or β-casein. Thirteen anthocyanins were detected, with malvidin-3-O-glucoside predominating in all cultivars. Fetească Neagră showed the highest total phenolic content (535.01 ± 38.43 mg gallic acid equivalents/100 g fresh weight), flavonoid content (202.52 ± 30.61 mg catechin equivalents/100 g) and antioxidant activity, and its extract reduced melanoma cell viability in a concentration-dependent manner, with viability remaining above 50% over the range tested. Total anthocyanin recovery during digestion decreased from 43.29–46.22% after the gastric phase to 8.82–12.25% after the intestinal phase. α-Casein significantly increased these values to 53.48–55.84% and 15.58–24.74%, respectively, in all cultivars. β-Casein had no significant effect in the gastric phase and was effective only in Pinot Noir after the intestinal phase (10.51% to 19.10%). α-Casein thus limited the intestinal degradation of grape anthocyanins, while cultivar composition determined the extent of the effect.