BTL-like proteins as molecular markers to evaluate polyphenol accumulation potential and maturation rate in grape

Flavonoid accumulation is a phenomenon associated to grape maturation and could be ascribed to several active and passive mechanisms. A more detailed knowledge of these processes could provide outputs about to improve the nutritional values of grape and its derivatives. This goal will be obtained assessing an immunochemical detection device able to point out the expression level of membrane transporters in grape skin and, thus, to estimate the polyphenol accumulation potential. In addition, this innovative test could allow to determine the best time for grape harvest, following in the field the dynamics of flavonoid accumulation systems. This parameter will implement the usual parameters applied by agronomical techniques, which are based on sugar content and acidity measurement. The evaluation of the phenolic maturity represents an efficient tool for the assessment of grape quality, since it takes into account the concentration of secondary metabolites as fundamental antioxidant molecules.