Journal of Chromatographic Science 2012;50:920– 927

doi:10.1093/chromsci/bms091 Advance Access publication June 11, 2012 Article

Ultraviolet Irradiation of Trans-Resveratrol and HPLC Determination of Trans-Resveratrol

and Cis-Resveratrol in Romanian Red Wines
Violeta Nour1*, Ion Trandafir2 and Camelia Muntean1
1
University of Craiova, Faculty of Horticulture, 13 A. I. Cuza Street, Craiova, Dolj, Romania and 2University of Craiova,
Faculty of Chemistry, 107 Calea Bucuresti Street, Craiova, Dolj, Romania

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*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed. Email: vionour@central.ucv.ro

Received 18 November 2011; revised 26 February 2012

A reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography method configurations classified as stilbenes. The essential structural
with diode array detection was developed for the determination of skeleton comprises two aromatic rings linked by a methylene
trans- and cis-resveratrol in red wines. Separation was achieved bridge (Figure 1) (8).
after direct injection by the use of a BDS Hypersil C18 column Resveratrol and piceid are primarily present in grape and
(250 3 4.6 mm) with gradient elution (solvent A: acetic acid 2%, wine derivatives, and their concentrations can vary depending
solvent B: acetonitrile). Detection of trans- and cis-resveratrol was on factors such as grape cultivar, mechanical injury, fungal in-
performed at 306 and 286 nm, respectively. The retention times of fection, primarily by Botrytis cinerea and Plasmospora viti-
trans- and cis-resveratrol were 22.2 and 26.1 min, respectively. Good cola (9 –13), vinification procedures (14, 15), environmental
linearity and precision were obtained for the two isomers. Detection conditions (temperature, humidity, latitude, height above sea
limits of 0.004 mg/L for trans-resveratrol and 0.02 mg/L for cis-rever- level and geochemical characteristics) (16, 17) and abiotic
atrol were obtained. The developed method was applied to determine stresses such as UV (11, 18).
cis- and trans-resveratrol in 30 red wines produced in Oltenia (south- In addition to grapes, a large variety of fruits, including mul-
western Romania). The wines came from different vineyards berry, bilberry, lingonberry, sparkle-berry, deerberry, partridge-
harvested in various vintages. The concentration of trans-resveratrol berry, cranberry, blueberry, and jackfruits, peanuts, pistachios
ranged from 0.287 to 7.188 mg/L, while the content of cis-resveratrol and a wide variety of flowers and leaves also contain resveratrol
ranged from 0.718 to 6.587 mg/L. The highest amount of trans- (19–24). The importance of resveratrol and piceid food
resveratrol was found in Merlot from Vanju Mare, Mehedinti sources depends on food composition and the amount of con-
(7.188 mg/L), followed by Sirah from Corcova, Mehedinti (4.738 mg/L), sumption of these foods.
both from the 2010 harvest. The paper also approaches the study of Resveratrol is raising a lot of interest in nutrition and medi-
the transformation of trans-resveratrol into the cis form after ultraviolet cine due to its potential health benefits. Several studies have
irradiation through glass and quartz. At the irradiation of a trans- demonstrated that trans-resveratrol is an effective antioxidant
resveratrol solution through quartz, the formation of another two com- and that it inhibits lipid peroxidation of low-density lipoprotein
pounds apart from cis-resveratrol was observed. (LDL), prevents the cytotoxicity of oxidized LDL, protects cells
against lipid peroxidation, decreases tumour promotion activity
by inhibiting cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1) and platelet aggrega-
Introduction tion (25 –28). Resveratrol was found to inhibit tumorigenesis in
Phenolic compounds are partly responsible for the color, rodent cancer models (29), to inhibit proliferation and induce
astringency and bitterness of wine, and for numerous physio- apoptosis in several human cancer cells (30, 31), including
logical properties associated with wine consumption (1). B-cell malignancies (32), and to affect a series of critical events
Although phenolic substances are routinely synthesised associated with tumor initiation and progression (33, 34), in-
during the processes of plant growth, the synthesis of some cluding up-regulation of p53 and p21 levels, induction of nitric
substances is also induced by stress factors caused, for oxide, inhibition of cyclooxygenase, protection against reactive
example, by fungal diseases or ultraviolet (UV) radiation (2). oxygen intermediates, down-regulation of survival factors and
The group of phenolic substances involves a number of com- down-regulation of proteinases (35, 36).
pounds ranging from simple phenols, phenolic acids and their The effects of resveratrol have been documented in a wide
derivatives to coumarins, flavonoids and stilbenes, tannins and variety of cell types, including macrophages, polymorpho-
lignins (3). The roles of these compounds within plants are nuclear cells, platelets, osteoblasts, neurons and adrenal cells,
very different: they protect plants against pests and UV radi- and it was suggested that resveratrol has therapeutic potential
ation, attract pollinators, function as antioxidants, and endow for allergy and neurologic disorders (36 –39). The biological
sensory properties and color to their fruit (4 –6). effects have primarily been studied in vitro, although there is
One of the important phenolic bioactive constituents in also growing in vivo evidence (40). Some effects required a
wine is resveratrol (3,4’,5-trihydroxystilbene), a naturally occur- high concentration of resveratrol in tissues, although chemo-
ring phytoalexin produced by some spermatophytes, such as preventive and chemotherapeutic anticancer effects are an ex-
grapevines, in response to injury (7). Resveratrol is the parent ception. In this case, resveratrol, at micromolar concentrations,
compound of a family of molecules, including glycosides affects the activity of transcriptional factors involved in prolifer-
( piceid) and polymers (viniferins), existing in cis and trans ation and stress responses and leads to the modulation of

# The Author [2012]. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com
 some wines, but does not affect those of other wines. Skin
contact time can affect resveratrol extraction, but the
maximum extraction time is dependent on grape variety (50).
Many investigations on the resveratrol concentrations of
commercial wines have been conducted. High-performance
liquid chromatography (HPLC) techniques are the most com-
monly used procedures, but gas chromatography (GC), GC –

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mass spectrometry (MS) (51) and capillary zone electrophor-
esis (CZE) (52, 53) techniques have also been proposed. HPLC
and GC can be coupled to various types of detectors, including
UV (14, 54, 55), photodiode array (DAD) (11, 13, 17, 56-58),
Figure 1. Structures of resveratrol and derivatives: trans-resveratrol (A, R = H); cis- chemiluminescent detection (CL) (59), fluorescence detection
resveratrol (B, R = H); trans-piceid (A, R = glycosyl); cis-piceid (B, R = glycosyl). (FD) (60) and MS (41, 61, 62).
Many papers have been published describing some
approaches for evaluating the concentrations of cis- and trans-
survival and apoptotic factors in carcinogenesis. In atheroscler- resveratrol in wines of different countries (16, 41, 51– 58, 63 –
otic and neurodegenerative diseases, the effects of resveratrol 69). In this study, a modified RP-HPLC analytical procedure was
are not only due to its antioxidant and scavenging activities, employed to determine the trans- and cis-resveratrol content
but also to its participation in the modulation of signal trans- in samples obtained from 30 commercial red wines produced
duction pathways and in the activation of several enzymes at in Oltenia, a southern region of Romania with a tradition of
micromolar concentrations (8). producing quality wines.
Due to these health-promoting properties, resveratrol is used Another purpose of this article is to describe the results of
in food supplements and is a promising substance to obtain our experiments in which trans-resveratrol was UV irradiated
functional foods (41). through glass and quartz, transformations that have been fol-
In natural foods, plants or wine, resveratrol exists naturally as lowed using HPLC coupled with DAD.
both cis- and trans-isomers, the trans isomer being the major
and more stable natural form. Cis-isomerization can also occur
when the trans isoform is exposed to sunlight or to artificial
or natural UV radiation (42, 43). According to Merillon et al. Materials and Methods
(44), the in vitro antioxidant activity of cis-resveratrol is seven Reagents
times weaker than that of trans-resveratrol, while according to Pure resveratrol (trans-3,4’,5-trihydroxystilbene) was purchased
Belleri et al. (45), trans-resveratrol is more effective than the from Sigma Chemical Co. and stock solution (1,000 mg/L) was
cis isomer in inhibiting angiogenesis and tumor growth prepared by dissolving 25.00 mg of the commercial product,
in vivo. Kim et al. (46) found that cis-resveratrol has a less without previous purification, in 25 mL of methanol. Acetonitrile,
potent anti-platelet activity than the trans-isomer, while Rius methanol and acetic acid were of liquid chromatographic grade
et al. (47) demonstrated that the in vivo anti-inflammatory (Merck). The water used was ultrapure, Basic TWF.
activity of resveratrol is produced by its trans isomer, whereas
cis-resveratrol produced no significant effect. Nevertheless,
other studies about the biological activity of cis-resveratrol
showed that it exerts antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activ- HPLC analysis
ities similar to those exerted by the trans form (48). Stock solution of cis-resveratrol was prepared by UV irradiation
Both isomeric forms were detected in white, rosé and red of a standard solution (1,000 mg/L) of trans-resveratrol for
wine. The isomer trans is primarily located in the grape berry 10 h, through glass and quartz. Samples were taken after every
skins (50–100 mg/g), and it is absent in the pulp (49). Wines 2 h. The sample obtained by irradiation through glass was used
produced with skin contact contain higher amounts of resvera- for calibration curve.
trol and piceid than wines made without skin contact. The The calibration curves of trans-resveratrol and cis-resveratrol
cis-isomer is probably transformed during the vinification were obtained by plotting the peak area of each standard
process but usually does not reach the concentration of the against concentration, in the ranges 5 –100 and 2 –50 mg/L,
trans-isomer in the wine. In red wine, the concentrations of respectively. The number of calibration points was eight for
the trans-isomer, which is the major form, generally range trans-resveratrol and five for cis-resveratrol. Each calibration
between 0.10 and 15 mg/L. Wines of the rosé type exhibit point was the mean of three independent measurements.
intermediate values between red and white wines (7). Reversed-phase HPLC was performed with a Surveyor
The different vinification techniques also affect trans- and Thermo Electron system comprising vacuum degasser, Surveyor
cis-resveratrol contents in wines (17). Yeasts with higher Plus LCPMPP pump, Surveyor Plus ASP autosampler and diode
b-glucosidase activity significantly increased the concentrations array detector with 5-cm flow cell. Integration, data storage
of cis- and trans-resveratrol and decreased the concentration and processing were performed by Chrom Quest 4.2 software.
of trans-resveratrol glucoside in wines, while fining treatments The analytical column was a BDS Hypersil C18 (25 cm 
with polyvinylpolypyrolidone greatly reduced its resveratrol 4.6 mm i.d., 5 mm particle diameter). The mobile phase was fil-
concentration. UV light exposure of grape clusters and enzyme tered through a polyamide membrane (0.2 mm) and degassed
addition might significantly increase the resveratrol levels in with a DK 102p Bandelin ultrasonic bath.

Ultraviolet Irradiation of Trans-Resveratrol and HPLC Determination of Trans-Resveratrol and Cis-Resveratrol in Romanian Red Wines 921
 The chromatographic separation was performed using Table I
elution gradient, and mobile phases were acetic acid 2% (A) Calibration Results for Determining Cis- and Trans-Resveratrol in Wines
and acetonitrile (B). The chromatographic separation was per-
Analyte l (nm) Retention time (min) Equation r2
formed using a five-stage linear gradient: 90% solvent A from 0
to 5 min, from 90% to 60% A in 22 min, 60% A for 3 min, from Trans-resveratrol 306 22.223 y ¼ 5.46026e – 006x 0.99967
Cis-resveratrol 286 26.125 y ¼ 1.02624e – 005x 0.99959
60 to 90% A in 2 min and 3 min 90% A to re-establish the initial
conditions, before the injection of another sample. The total

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gradient time was 35 min, with a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min. An
injection volume of 5 mL and thermostatic control of the retention times of the analytes for all levels of the calibration
system to maintain a temperature of 208C were used. graph and for peak area at each calibration level.
The eluent was monitored at 306 and 286 nm, optimum The RSDs for the retention time were 0.074% for trans-
absorbancies of trans- and cis-resveratrol, respectively, and the resveratrol and 0.099% for cis-resveratrol; therefore, in standard
UV spectra of the eluents were obtained. Identification was solutions, the developed HPLC method provides stable reten-
based on retention time and spectrum data. All analyses were tion times. RSDs for peak areas were between 0.057% and
performed in triplicate and the data are presented as mean + 0.307% for cis-resveratrol and between 0.090% and 0.440% for
error (95% confidence level, F ¼ 4, n ¼ 5). trans-resveratrol. Moreover, the calculated RSDs also prove sta-
bility in terms of peak height and asymmetry.

Performance of the method Precision

Accuracy of the method was studied as two components: accur- To test the precision of the HPLC method, standards of 20 and
acy and precision. In the absence of a certified reference mater- 5.5 mg/L of trans- and cis-resveratrol, respectively, were ana-
ial, accuracy was investigated by recovery (70). Accurate lyzed by 10 repeated injections. RSD values were 0.063 and
amounts of standards were added to the wine sample, and the 0.088% for retention time and 0.096 and 0.123% for peak areas
recovery values were obtained by comparing the increase of the for trans- and cis-resveratrol, respectively.
peak areas before and after the addition of standard analytes. To evaluate the method, a wine sample was independently
The precision of the method was confirmed by repetitive analyzed 10 times. This analysis was repeated over three days.
analyses, calculating the average relative standard deviation For retention time, RSD values were 0.065 and 0.233%, while
(RSD) for six replicate determinations. The limit of detection for peak areas, RSD values were 0.365 and 0.423% for trans-
[(LOD), signal-to-noise (S/N) ¼ 3] of the individual compounds and cis-resveratrol, respectively. These results show that the
was calculated at their absorbance maxima. developed method has good precision.

Recovery
Samples The recovery, specificity and selectivity of the method were
The levels of trans- and cis-resveratrol were determined in 30 evaluated by spiking a wine sample with each of five increasing
samples of red wines from Oltenia (southwestern Romania). concentrations of standard solutions within the concentration
Samples were purchased from local markets or obtained from range, in duplicate. The percentage of recovery varied from
Romanian wineries and kept at 48C in darkness until analysis. 95.6 to 100.4% for trans-resveratrol and from 98.2 to 101.8%
Samples included wines made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, for cis-resveratrol.
Pinot Noir, Syrah, Feteasca neagra and Negru de Dragasani grapes
from 2007–2010 vintages. The wines were analyzed by direct LODs
HPLC injection, after filtration through a 0.45-mm membrane. The LODs were determined starting from the principle that a
peak, to be detected, must have an S/N ratio . 3. The LODs
were 0.004 mg/L for trans-resveratrol and 0.02 mg/L for
Results and Discussion cis-resveratrol.
Performance of the method
Study of the changes of trans-resveratrol caused by UV light
Linearity UV light exposure to trans-resveratrol is a common way of
The calibration graphs for trans-resveratrol were produced by transforming trans-resveratrol into the cis form. At irradiation
injecting standard solutions in the range 0.01–50 mg/L. Because through glass, it was observed that the derivative cis is formed
no other compound was formed at the irradiation through glass, from the trans form. Figure 2 shows model chromatograms at
values for cis-resveratrol standards were assigned on the basis of 306 nm obtained after 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 h of exposure through
the decrease in trans-resveratrol following irradiation. glass, and Figures 3 and 4 illustrate the spectra of trans- and
Each point of the calibration graph corresponded to the cis-resveratrol, respectively, which were similar to those
mean value obtained from three independent area measure- reported in previous papers.
ments. The corresponding regression equations and other char- The irradiation of trans-resveratrol through quartz deter-
acteristic parameters for the determination of both isomers are mined the decrease of both cis and trans isomer concentra-
shown in Table I. tions and induced the formation of two unknown compounds.
To test peak area and retention time reproducibility, Chrom The major transmission difference between glass and quartz is
Quest software was used for calculation of the RSDs for the that quartz transmits both UV and infrared well, while glass is

922 Nour et al.

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Figure 6. Absorption spectra of compounds A and B.

a third compound whose concentration increased as the light

Figure 2. Chromatograms obtained during irradiation of trans-resveratrol through exposure time increased. This new compound seemed to be
glass.
generated from the cis-resveratrol and presented strong fluores-
cence and weak UV absorption. This unknown compound
appeared in a higher concentration when the initial concentra-
tion of the trans-resveratrol solution was low. Roggero also
reported the formation, at the irradiation of trans-resveratrol,
of a third compound that was highly fluorescent in the UV
range (71), but the detection of a fourth compound at the ir-
radiation of trans-resveratrol was not reported in the literature.
Taking into account that the conditions of irradiation greatly
influence the conversion and generation of other compounds,
Figure 3. Absorption spectra of trans-resveratrol. care must be taken for the correct quantification of
cis-resveratrol.

Analysis of wine samples

The results obtained from wine samples are given in Table II.
All determinations were carried out in triplicate. Typical chro-
matograms at l ¼ 306 nm are shown in Figure 7.
The use of a diode array detector allowed us to confirm the
identity of the peak not only by its migration time, but also by
the overlay of the UV-VIS spectra with a standard.
Figure 4. Absorption spectra of cis-resveratrol. The concentration of trans-resveratrol ranged from 0.287 to
7.188 mg/L with a mean value of 2.246 + 1.55 mg/L, while the
content of cis-resveratrol ranged from 0.718 to 6.587 mg/L.
Mark et al. (69) found from 0.1 to 14.3 mg/L trans-resveratrol
in Hungarian red wines, while Paulo et al. (67), after analyzing
186 Portuguese red wines from different regions, grape var-
ieties and vintages, found that the content of trans-resveratrol
in red wines ranged from 0.05 to 10.9 mg/L and the concentra-
tions of cis-resveratrol ranged from 0.04 to 8.71 mg/L.
Interesting findings arise by comparing our results with
those reported by Stervbo et al. in a review of the resveratrol
content in red wine based on relevant published data (72). The
purpose of his review was to compare the levels of resveratrol
in different red wines from a single grape variety (monovarietal
Figure 5. HPLC chromatograms obtained during irradiation of trans-resveratrol red wines) and to compare the resveratrol content of red
through quartz. wines from different regions. The average value of trans-
resveratrol in Romanian red wines (Oltenia region) appeared to
be higher than the average value reported by Stervbo et al.
relatively opaque to UV and infrared. Both quartz and glass (1.9 + 1.7 mg/L) for all mono-varietal red wines. Also, the
transmit visible light. average value of trans-resveratrol in Romanian red wines
Figure 5 shows model chromatograms at 306 nm obtained (Oltenia region) appeared to be higher than those reported for
after 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 h of exposure through quartz, while Serbian (55) and Hungarian (68) red wines.
Figure 6 illustrates the spectra of the two unknown com- Generally, in the literature, there is a considerable variability
pounds that were generated. in resveratrol concentrations. This is due to several factors, in-
López-Hernández et al., in a study of the changes of trans- cluding climate. Other factors, such as the geographical area of
resveratrol caused by UV light (41), observed the formation of cultivation, the development conditions of the grape, the wine

Ultraviolet Irradiation of Trans-Resveratrol and HPLC Determination of Trans-Resveratrol and Cis-Resveratrol in Romanian Red Wines 923
Table II
Concentration of Trans- and Cis-Resveratrol in Romanian Red Wines (mg/L)

Wine Vintage Wine producer Trans-resveratrol Cis-resveratrol Total resveratrol content

Cabernet Sauvignon (1) 2008 Domeniile Coroanei, Segarcea, Dolj 0.289 + 0.03 1.099 + 0.04 1.388 + 0.03
Cabernet Sauvignon (2) 2008 Domeniile Coroanei, Segarcea, Dolj 0.334 + 0.03 1.439 + 0.04 1.773 + 0.03
Cabernet Sauvignon (1) 2009 Starmina, Mehedinti 1.933 + 0.04 2.037 + 0.04 3.971 + 0.03
Cabernet Sauvignon (2) 2009 Starmina, Mehedinti 1.198 + 0.03 1.078 + 0.04 2.276 + 0.03

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Cabernet Sauvignon (1) 2010 Starmina, Mehedinti 3.664 + 0.05 2.293 + 0.04 5.957 + 0.04
Cabernet Sauvignon (2) 2010 Starmina, Mehedinti 1.180 + 0.04 1.008 + 0.03 2.188 + 0.03
Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 Vanju Mare, Mehedinti 1.140 + 0.03 1.733 + 0.02 2.873 + 0.02
Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 Corcova, Mehedinti 2.362 + 0.03 2.290 + 0.04 4.652 + 0.03
Mean + standard deviation 1.513 + 1.12 1.622 + 0.54 3.135 + 1.58
Merlot 2007 Domeniile Coroanei, Segarcea, Dolj 0.287 + 0.04 0.913 + 0.03 1.200 + 0.03
Merlot (1) 2008 Domeniile Coroanei, Segarcea, Dolj 0.437 + 0.04 0.945 + 0.05 1.382 + 0.05
Merlot (2) 2008 Domeniile Coroanei, Segarcea, Dolj 3.442 + 0.02 0.659 + 0.04 4.101 + 0.03
Merlot 2009 Domeniile Coroanei, Segarcea, Dolj 1.456 + 0.04 3.886 + 0.04 5.342 + 0.03
Merlot (1) 2009 Corcova, Mehedinti 3.027 + 0.02 2.845 + 0.04 5.872 + 0.03
Merlot (2) 2009 Corcova, Mehedinti 3.010 + 0.03 2.464 + 0.03 5.474 + 0.03
Merlot 2010 Vanju Mare, Mehedinti 7.188 + 0.04 3.882 + 0.04 11.07 + 0.04
Merlot (1) 2010 Starmina, Mehedinti 3.761 + 0.04 2.465 + 0.03 6.226 + 0.03
Merlot (2) 2010 Starmina, Mehedinti 3.546 + 0.03 2.453 + 0.04 5.999 + 0.03
Merlot (3) 2010 Starmina, Mehedinti 2.470 + 0.02 2.162 + 0.03 4.632 + 0.02
Merlot (4) 2010 Starmina, Mehedinti 3.755 + 0.04 2.406 + 0.05 6.161 + 0.04
Mean + standard deviation 2.944 + 1.89 2.280 + 1.09 5.224 + 2.64
Pinot Noir 2008 Domeniile Coroanei, Segarcea, Dolj 1.360 + 0.04 2.546 + 0.04 3.906 + 0.03
Pinot Noir 2009 Domeniile Coroanei, Segarcea, Dolj 2.274 + 0.03 5.935 + 0.04 8.209 + 0.03
Pinot Noir 2010 Corcova, Mehedinti 2.943 + 0.04 2.615 + 0.03 5.558 + 0.04
Mean + standard deviation 2.192 + 0.79 3.699 + 1.94 5.891 + 2.17
Feteasca Neagra 2007 Banu Maracine, Dolj 0.954 + 0.04 0.718 + 0.03 1.672 + 0.03
Feteasca neagra 2008 Domeniile Coroanei, Segarcea, Dolj 1.304 + 0.02 1.820 + 0.03 3.124 + 0.02
Feteasca Neagra 2009 Starmina, Mehedinti 3.737 + 0.03 3.211 + 0.03 6.948 + 0.03
Mean + standard deviation 1.998 + 1.52 1.916 + 1.25 3.915 + 2.73
Syrah 2009 Domeniile Coroanei, Segarcea, Dolj 0.813 + 0.03 2.331 + 0.03 3.144 + 0.02
Syrah 2010 Corcova, Mehedinti 4.738 + 0.04 2.503 + 0.03 7.241 + 0.03
Mean + standard deviation 1.817 + 2.77 4.241 + 0.12 6.058 + 2.89
Cabernet Sauvignon þ Merlot 2008 Corcova, Mehedinti 1.582 + 0.03 2.417 + 0.03 3.999 + 0.03
Cabernet Sauvignon þ Merlot 2009 Corcova, Mehedinti 1.633 + 0.03 2.277 + 0.03 3.910 + 0.03
Mean + standard deviation 1.608 + 0.04 2.347 + 0.10 3.955 + 0.06
Negru de Dragasani 2010 Starmina, Mehedinti 1.569 + 0.04 2.552 + 0.04 4.121 + 0.04

influence of winemaking techniques and cultivars on the

resveratrol content of wines made from the cultivars Merlot,
Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir and Prokupac, also found that
Merlot wines had the highest average resveratrol content (60).
In a study of trans- and cis-resveratrol content of 20 different
wine samples from Romania, Vlase et al. found for dry red
wines an average concentration of 4.90 + 3.74 mg/L trans-
plus cis-resveratrol (73), close to 4.48 + 2.26 mg/L obtained in
our study. They also found in all red wines that the trans-
resveratrol content is higher than the cis-resveratrol content,
which was not a rule in our findings. Indeed, we found an
average of 2.23 + 1.09 mg/L cis-resveratrol, very close to the
Figure 7. Chromatogram at l ¼ 306 nm of the red wine Sirah (Corcova, Mehedinti,
average content of 2.24 + 1.55 mg/L trans-resveratrol.
2010).
Because the wines analyzed in our study were not from a
single vintage, no conclusions can be made for the role of age
making techniques and the storage conditions, also have great in- regarding trans-resveratrol concentration in red wines.
fluence on the content of resveratrol in wines (41). Stervbo et al. However, we observed that the concentrations of trans-
also found a great variance in the levels of resveratrol across resveratrol of the red wines harvested in 2010 exceed
variety. Nevertheless, our average values for trans-resveratrol in 1.140 mg/L trans-resveratrol.
red wines made from Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah var-
ieties (Table II) were very close to those presented by Stervbo
et al. (2.8 + 2.6 mg/L for Merlot, 1.7 + 1.7 mg/L for Cabernet
Sauvignon and 1.8 + 0.9 mg/L for Syrah). Conclusions
As shown in Table II, the highest amount of trans-resveratrol In the past few years, trans- and cis-resveratrol have attracted
was found in Merlot from Vanju Mare, Mehedinti (7.188 mg/L), great attention due to their health properties, and several papers
followed by Sirah from Corcova, Mehedinti (4.738 mg/L), both have reported methods to determine these compounds, but few
from the 2010 harvest. Atanacković et al., in a study of the have described the formation of derivatives from trans or cis

924 Nour et al.

isomers. The formation of new compounds from trans- and cis- 13. Romero-Perez, A.I., Lamuela-Raventos, R.M., Andres-Lacueva, C.,
resveratrol can occur at strong UV irradiation and may undergo Torre-Boronat, M.C.; Method for the quantitative extraction of
errors in the quantification if is not taken into account. resveratrol and piceid isomers in grape berry skins. Effect of
powdery mildew on the stilbene content; Journal of Agricultural
An RP-HPLC method with DAD was developed for the quan- and Food Chemistry, (2001); 49: 210–215.
titative determination of trans- and cis-resveratrol in wines. 14. de Lima, M.T.R., Waffo-Teguo, P., Teissedre, P. L., Pujolas, A.,
The results concerning linearity, recovery, precision and sensi- Vercauteren, J., Cabanis, J.C.; Determination of stilbenes (trans-
tivity were highly satisfactory and comparable to those astringin, cis- and trans-piceid, and cis- and trans-resveratrol) in

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