Anti-atherogenic effects of a phenol-rich fraction from Brazilian red wine (Vitis labrusca L.) in hypercholesterolemic low-density lipoprotein receptor knockout mice.

Moderate wine intake (i.e., 1-2 glasses of wine a day) is associated with a reduced risk of morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular disease.

An ethyl acetate fraction obtained from a Southern Brazilian red wine relaxes rat mesenteric arterial bed through hyperpolarization and NO-cGMP pathway.

A number of studies suggest that moderate consumption of red wine may be more effective than other alcoholic beverages in decreasing the risk of coronary heart disease (CAD). In this study, we investigated the effect of a crude extract (CE), as well as an ethyl acetate fraction (EAF) obtained from a Brazilian red wine in the mesenteric arterial bed (MAB) from rats. Our results showed that after the tonus of MAB was increased with phenylephrine (PE), increasing concentrations of CE induced a concentration-dependent relaxation; moreover, EAF was more potent in relaxing the MAB when compared with CE.