ABSTRACT
One of the world's oldest cultivated plants, grapes have been extensively studied in vivo, in vitro and ex vivo. Grapes possess health-promoting potentials due to their phytochemicals like phenolic acids, stilbenes, flavanols, flavanones, flavones, flavan-3-ols, isoflavonoids, anthocyanins, and proanthocyanidins which are powerful antioxidants. Grapes have high antioxidant antiatherosclerotic, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, antiplatelet, antimicrobial, antiallergic, and antimutagenic effects promoting better health. Grape consumption lowers the peril of chronic diseases like cancer, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and neurodegenerative, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, and respiratory diseases. Grape extracts are used to boost the nutritional value of meat, fish, dairy products, bread, and beverages. The use of grape seeds, pulp, and skin as a dietary supplement is becoming more popular owing to the realisation of the health benefits of its phytochemicals, specifically proanthocyanidins and flavonoids. This chapter summarises research on grape seeds' phytochemical compounds and their pharmacological properties for various diseases establishing the role of grapes in nutraceutical and functional foods.
