Grape pomace (GP)—the major by-product of winemaking processes—still contains bioactive molecules with known beneficial properties for human health, such as an antiradical scavenging activity or an antiproliferative activity of tumors. In vitro studies have demonstrated that GP polyphenols specifically influence colon cancer cell proliferation. In addition to previously published work, we tested the phenolic compounds of Aglianico GP following an in vitro simulated gastrointestinal digestion on colorectal cancer cell lines at different degrees of differentiation. Our experiments, using HT29 and SW480 cells, confirmed the anti-proliferative effect of GP gastrointestinal digested extract and provided intriguing insights on the way it influences the cancer cell features (i.e., viability, proliferation, and apoptosis). We observed that Aglianico GP extract showed a great ability to affect cell proliferation and apoptosis. Interestingly, both HT29 and SW480 cells produced a significant increase in Bax, and a significant increase in the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio and caspase-3. The gastrointestinal digested GP extract was previously characterized both for antioxidant activity and phenolic composition. As a result, the TPC and the antioxidant activity reached high values in the Aglianico GP digested extract, and the main compounds assessed by UHPLC-DAD were anthocyanins, phenolic acids, and flavonoids. This work shed light on the use of digested GP extract as a dietary ingredient, a very sustainable source of nutritional compounds with potential health benefits for colon cancer cell proliferation.

In sustainable or organic vineyard systems, the introduction of cover crops could represent a powerful tool for farmers to influence, positively, the agro-ecosystem by promoting the whole soil-plant system equilibrium. Concerning table grape production, nitrogen fertilizers are medium-high; for environmental aspects, organic viticulturists are more interested in legume inter-row cover crops. Research on cover crop effects was carried out in 2015–2016, on organic table grapes (the Sugranineteen variety) in Mediterranean conditions. Three inter-row soil management techniques were compared: (TR) inter-row spacing was cultivated with subterranean clover; (V) inter-row spacing with common vetch incorporated in the soil as green manure, and (RC) inter-row spacing with common vetch flattened by the roller crimper technique, making a living mulch. No significant difference was recorded in grapevine water status among the treatments. RC vines performed the highest net photosynthesis rate from shoot growth to veràison. Cover crops did not affect cluster weight, berry weight, and juice composition; however, they influenced berry detachment force. Our research findings confirmed that legume cover crops (subterranean clover and common vetch) increased soil organic matter and could represent an economic and sustainable soil use to reduce the amount of nitrogen fertilizers applied in table grape production.

Two types of plastic cover (LDPE + EVA and LDPE + HDPE) were tested to assess their radiometric properties and the influence on the vegetative and reproductive performances of ‘Matilde’ table grape. Films showed the same transmittance to short infrared waves, but LDPE + EVA had a higher transmissivity to visible, PAR and short infrared wavelength ranges of solar radiation, especially as for the « direct » light component. In comparison to the open field, covering increased GDD accumulation and advanced budbreak by 12 days (LDPE + HDPE) or 20 days (LDPE + EVA). Commercial ripening (14 °Brix) was advanced by 8 and 22 days, respectively. Must acidity was higher in open field than under LDPE + EVA. Yield per vine increased under LDPE + EVA, although not at a significant level; bunch mass was higher under LDPE + EVA than in open field. Berry mass was maximum under LDPE + EVA and progressively decreased under LDPE + HDPE and in open field. Under covering, the pruning cane mass increased by 63% with LDPE + EVA and 43% with LDPE + HDPE.