Grapes: A Crop with High Nutraceuticals Genetic Diversity

Grapevine is considered the most important fruit crop cultivated in temperate regions and is acknowledged as a model species for non-climacteric fleshy fruits. From a nutritional perspective, grapes are fruits with a high content of carbohydrates, a good nutritional source of minerals and vitamins, and most importantly, they are one of the richest fruits in polyphenols and other compounds with antioxidant properties. In particular, this chapter focuses on nutraceutical compounds such as phenolic acids, stilbenes, flavonols, flavanols, tannins, anthocyanidins, monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes, carotenoids, C13-norisoprenoids, and some vitamins. Their chemical structures and biosynthetic pathways are revised, and the content and diversity of these secondary metabolites in genetic resources of the genus Vitis (including Muscadinia and Vitis species, focusing on V. vinifera cultivars) are shown. In addition, QTL and association studies exploring the genetic basis of the biosynthesis of different health-related compounds in V. vinifera grape berries were asserted. Finally, a survey on the peculiarities and limits of traditional breeding compared to the innovative plant breeding techniques (cisgenesis and genome editing) applied to grapevine is provided. We conclude with the potential role of grape miRNA on human health as likely candidates for dietary therapy approaches due to their cross-kingdom abilities and regulation activity of gene expression and cellular processes in humans through dietary intake.