Grape Processing Waste: Effects on Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Colorectal Cancer

Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD) are inflammatory conditions characterized by bowel disruption and the involvement of the immune system and can be associated with the development of colorectal cancer. Conventional therapeutic approaches are based on administering drugs capable of modulating the inflammatory response; however, many patients are irresponsive to conventional therapies. Grapes are largely used in producing wine, juice, jam, and other products. However, the waste from the production process represents an environmental problem. On the other hand, grape by-products are rich in bioactive compounds such as proanthocyanidins, anthocyanins, phenolic acids, stilbenes, and flavonols. These compounds can help in the prevention or in treatment of several conditions such as IBD and colorectal cancer. Grape by-products can promote remarkable effects in reducing pro-inflammatory, pro-oxidative, and proliferative actions in IBD and CRC both in vivo and in vitro. These effects are related to the improvement of epithelial integrity, reduction of Disease Activity Index, mucosal barrier reinforcement, induction of strong chemopreventive actions, reduction of tumor incidence, and cell proliferation.