Page 24 - CSHS 2022 Book of Abstracts - 2022-08-22 web version

CSHS 2022 Conference

(FO.9) Potential associations between grape bioactive molecules and fungal endophyte
microbiome
Champa Wijekoon 1,2* , Ali Sabra , Zoe Quill
1,2
1,2
1. AAFC, Winnipeg, MB; 2. Canadian Centre for Agri-Food Research in Health and Medicine, Winnipeg, MB
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Grape (Vitis vinifera) is a rich source of bioactive molecules including flavonoids, anthocyanins and stilbene
compounds. In addition to their nutritive values, these compounds possess antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-
inflammatory, and anticarcinogenic activities and have wide applications in food and nutraceutical industries.
Endophytes are systematically distributed asymptomatically in plant tissues such as roots, stems, leaves, seeds and
fruits. In the last decade, endophytes have sparked a great deal of interest with their immense diversity and unique
features that show potential in being useful tools in agricultural, industrial, and pharmaceutical applications.
Interestingly, recent evidence showed few strains of fungal endophytes producing polyphenol compounds in grapes
as well. Grape phytochemical and fungal endophyte community studies are more focused on wine grapes whereas
documented endophyte research on table grapes are limited. The objective of this study is to show the composition
of bioactive phytochemicals and fungal endophytes of table grapes in Winnipeg market to identify their potential
interactions. Grape polyphenols were extracted and analyzed using high performance liquid chromatography
(HPLC). Amplicon ITS (internal transcribed spacer) metagenomics approach was used to profile the fungal
communities of the table grape endophyte microbiome. This study showed containing bioactive compounds and
fungal endophyte diversity in commercial table grapes found in market. Further research is needed to develop a
deeper understanding of bioactive-endophyte-host relationships and the metabolic contributions given through this
exchange.

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