Italy is the most important wine producer in the world and wine is certainly the best-known grape product! This is a fact.
It is also well known that wine is highly appreciated for its sensorial and convivial aspects and, if consumed in an adequate and moderate manner, also for its ''healthy'' aspects. Alcohol aside, in wine there are healthy substances such as polyphenols which are associated and recognized with important beneficial properties (just think of the famous French paradox , which shows that consumers of red wine are less subject to cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks , which remains the main cause of deaths in developed countries like ours).
THE GRAPE
The grape is a mine of beneficial and nutraceutical substances , that is, compounds that nourish and are good for health because they improve some important physiological functions of the body, for example the cardio-circulatory function of the blood.
The chemical products of the grape berry are only partly available in the fermented product, i.e. in the wine, others remain in the so-called oenological production residues such as in the seeds and skin of the grape (seeds and pomace).
Approximately from 100 kg of grapes 83 kg of must, 12 kg of pomace, 2 kg of stalks and 3 kg of seeds are obtained.
Beneficial substances of great biomedical interest are present in the pomace and especially in the seeds. They are present in particular in the pomace polyphenolic antioxidant molecules which belong to the families of anthocyanins, anthocyanidins, flavones, flavans, stilbenes, phenolic acids, etc. These molecules, chemically different from each other (at least thirty), are all natural antioxidants , such as catechins, rutin, epicatechins, chlorogenic acids, quercetin, Resveratrol etc., particularly important for the prevention of myocardial infarction , diabetes, aging, senile dementia, cancer etc.
Grape flavonoids (family of polyphenols) have an antioxidant power with a beneficial and synergistic effect in the regulation of metabolism and also in the prevention and treatment of particular pathologies, such as obesity, insulin resistance, atherosclerosis, etc.
The main bioactive molecules in grapes
Among the polyphenolic component of grapes there are the following main bioactive molecules whose specific biological functions are reported:
Resveratrol : anti-radical scavenging activity (removal of free radicals) and anti-proliferative activity of tumors; protects membranes from oxidation; regulates lipid metabolism; improves the level of nitric oxide in the plasma;
Quercetin : antimicrobial activity improves the level of nitric oxide in the plasma;
Catechins : anti-radical, anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, anti-proliferative and antimicrobial scavenging activity; protects membranes from oxidation;
Flavones : antiproliferative activity;
Flavonols : anti-radical scavenging activity; Procyanidins: anti-tumor activity, anti-radical scavenging, anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory.
Anthocyanins : vasodilatory, antimicrobial, anti-radical scavenging, anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory, anti-proliferative activity;
Gallic acid : anti-radical scavenging;
Epicatechin : antimicrobial.
POMA, VINACCIOLI and CIRCULAR BEAUTY
The pomace (basically all that remains of the grape after processing for the production of wine) is one of the most abundant by-products of the wine-growing agro-industry.
Usually this waste material is given to distillation companies (to produce grappa) which, after the extraction of alcohol, dispose of the pomace industrially through fermentation processes to produce biogas, or by partially drying it and using it for combustion to produce energy.
We, at Le LASE, prefer, also from a circular economy perspective, to make a different use of pomace, which comes from ancient peasant wisdom: never throw anything away. Everything can be exploited, even in a creative and unusual way.
Firmly convinced that '' From Bellezza comes Bellezza '', we give back to our land what the land has given us through agronomic spreading ( i.e. the distribution of pomace in our agricultural land, after having denatured it with ferrous sulphate). The pomace thus becomes an excellent fertilizer and natural fertilizer for our vineyard.
Part of our pomace is instead transferred to the cosmetic laboratory for the production of our anti-aging skincare creams and serums.
Our VIS VITIS skin care is therefore inspired by the circular beauty model: natural, innovative and sustainable beauty products because they are made with ingredients entirely obtained from recyclable raw materials. Extremely functional cosmetics for the skin which, thanks to science, restore value to the original material. Our goal is to integrate sustainability, research and excellent quality. We study production systems that optimize the effectiveness of the active ingredients. We are committed to an ideal of sustainable beauty that takes care of your skin and cares about our planet, your health and that of the ecosystem.