INFLUENCE OF SOME BIOACTIVE PRINCIPLES IN RED WINE UPON CELLULAR OXIDATIVE PHOSPHORYLATION I. Neacşu, (1) M. Niculaua (1) , Otilia Chiriţă (2) , C.V. Zănoagă (1) , V.V. Cotea (2) , Cintia Colibaba (2) (1) Enological Research Center Iaşi – Iaşi Branch of Romanian Academy Bd. Carol I, no. 8, Iaşi, România ccoiasi@gmail.com (2) „Ion Ionescu de la Brad“ University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Iaşi Alley M. Sadoveanu, no. 3, Iaşi, România vcotea@uaiasi.ro ABSTRACT The in vitro influence of a Romanian red wine (Fetească neagră) upon cellular respiration and oxidative phosphorylation process of the batracian muscular and hepatic cells was studied. The oxidative phosphorylation process was appreciated by calculation of P:O ratio (oxidative phosphorylation index) values, the oxygen respiratory cellular consumption by Warburg micromanometric method and inorganic phosphate cellular content by the Bell- Doisy-Briggs method. The red wine induced certain stimulation of cellular respiration and of oxidative phosphorylation process, with amplitudes depending on the wine used concentrations (1–3%) and the cell type. The results evidence the influence of bioactive principles (especially polyphenols) in red wine upon the cellular energetic processes as well as some of theirs useful pharmacological properties. L'influence in vitro d'un vin rouge roumain (Fetească neagră) sur la respiration cellulaire et les processus de phosphorylation oxydative des cellules musculaires et hépatiques batracien a été étudiée. Le processus de phosphorylation oxydative a été appréciée par le calcul de les valeurs P:O ratio (indice de phosphorylation oxydative), la consommation d'oxygène respiratoire cellulaire a été déterminé par la méthode micromanometrique Warburg et le contenu du phosphore inorganique par la méthode Bell-Doisy-Briggs. Le vin rouge induite certaine stimulation de la respiration cellulaire et du processus de phosphorylation oxydative, selon les concentrations du vin utilisé (1–3%) et de le type de cellule étudiée. Les résultats prouvés l'influence des principes bioactifs (en particulier les polyphenols) de le vin rouge sur les processus cellulaires énergétiques ainsi que certains de leurs propriétés pharmacologiques utiles. INTRODUCTION It is by now generally accepted the idea that some bioactive compounds of wine, polyphenols especially, evidence a series of properties known as inducing certain beneficial effects, as a result of moderate wine consumption, which also explain – among others – the so called „French paradox“ [Dudley et al.,2008]. Consequently, the antiradicalic, antiatherogeneic, vasodilating, anti-inflamatory, hepatoprotecting and others positive properties – in correlation with the positive effects of the bioactive principles from wine (polyphenols especially) – have been evidenced in a series of diseases, such as cardiovascular, hepatic, neurological maladies, cancer etc. [Jackson, 2008, Shan He et al.,2008, Cotea et al., 2008, Dudley et al.,2008].