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17.1 Introduction

Consumption of wines in moderation can have a positive influence on the human body due to their high content in antioxidants. Antioxidants have the ability to scavenge-free radicals species which are formed during metabolic processes in human cells which may inhibit normal functioning of the cells [1]. Ever since the French Paradox relating wine consumption to the low prevalence of cardiovascular diseases in spite of the unhealthy diet in France [2], wine antioxidants have been the focus of intensive research, with one compound, resveratrol, becoming particularly famous.

Resveratrol (3,5,4-trihydroxystilbene) is a stilbene, part of the phytoalexins group, an important class of de novo synthesized substances as response to pathogenic infections in plants [3, 4]. Resveratrol is found as a mixture of cis and trans isomers, synthesized in plants by stilbene-synthase [5]. The oxidative dimerization of resveratrol leads to oligomers called viniferins [6] (Fig. 17.1). Stilbenes (from stilbos-“shining” in Greek) are a class of substances with a common 1,2-diphenylethylene backbone. The cis- and trans-isomers of stilbenes have different pharmacological activities; the trans-isomer of resveratrol, for example, performs better in antioxidant and anticancer assays. Hydroxylated derivatives of stilbenes are called stilbenoids.

Fig. 17.1
figure 1

Structures of compounds isolated from V. amurensis or M. rotundifolia. Reprinted with permission from [15]. Copyright (2013) American Chemical Society

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Resveratrol and resveratrol derivatives have been shown to be powerful antioxidants [3]. As many diseases develop due to the production of radical oxygen species in the human body, in the quest for new strategies against diseases, resveratrol and related stilbenes have been used in many in vivo and in vitro studies investigating their potential beneficial effect on human health [7–11]. A range of protective and preventive effects are currently widely attributed to resveratrol and its derivatives, including anti-aging [8], antioxidant [3], as an enhancer of NO production in endothelial cells [12], cardio protection [13], as a reducer of the invasion of breast cancer cells [14], etc.

This comprehensive area of well-known pharmacological properties of resveratrol exists due to a large research activity directed towards understanding the pharmacokinetics, the pharmacodynamics, and the metabolism of this compound. Resveratrol was at the center of scientific world’s attention in 2003 when a study published in the journal Nature showed that this molecule can increase the lifespan of Saccharomyces cerevisiae [16]. Later, in 2006, Professor Sinclair’s group found also that resveratrol can prolong the lifespan of obese mice, although it didn’t have any effect on normal mice [17]. Clinical trials were launched, first based on resveratrol, than on some of its derivatives, examining the clinical efficiency of these compounds in managing diseases like diabetes, obesity, Alzheimer’s disease, or even cancer [18, 19]. This year it has been confirmed that resveratrol has anti-aging effects, being demonstrated that it activates the protein SIRT 1 through an allosteric mechanism [20]. Some clinical trials are currently in phase II, showing promise for the use of stilbenes in the prevention of cardiovascular disease and for delaying aging effects. On the other hand, in a recent study intended to evaluate the safety and pharmacokinetics of resveratrol administered to humans in a single dose to healthy patients [21], it has been demonstrated that this compound is rapidly metabolized and it has a low bioavailability. Resveratrol is rapidly adsorbed after oral administration, with maximum levels in the human body being reached in approximately 30–60 min [22]. New stilbenoids have recently been identified [23, 24], hence the rising interest in developing new methods and strategies for quantification of stilbenoid compounds. Also, new challenges posed by the necessity to sometimes analyze very small volumes of samples gave rise to different analytical approaches and more complex techniques and instrumentation.

Grapes and wines can be considered a natural source of nutraceutical compounds, including stilbenes. The content of stilbenes in these natural matrices is influenced by a set of factors such as the wine making process, variety, climate, etc. Different strategies are currently taken into consideration in the wine-making process for increasing not only the content of stilbenes in grapes, but also the efficiency of their transfer to the obtained wines. For this purpose, a rapid screening of complex samples for the desired stilbenes is necessary and the analytical information has to be available in a timely manner. In this work we report on the application of mass spectrometry (MS), one of the most used analytical methods for the detection of biomedically important stilbenes from wines.

17.2 Grape and Wine Stilbenes

Increased efforts have been directed in the biomedical field towards developing new strategies to prevent, treat, or identify the causes of major diseases. The detection and quantification of biochemical compounds found in plants, which may act against various types of diseases, is therefore very important. A tremendous amount of work has been done over the years to evaluate the chemical composition of grapes and wines. According to the literature, more than 1,000 components have been identified in wine [25].

The antioxidant properties of grapes and wine are mainly due to the fact that they contain a large amount of polyphenols with the ability to scavenge reactive oxygen species. Resveratrol and its derivatives can be found in different parts of the plant such as grape canes [26, 27] or grape skin [28] and the most grape product—wine [5, 15, 23]. The evolution and synthesis of stilbenes in plant organisms depends on the pathogenic infection [29]. One of the most common fungal infections which may affect the grapes and all the plant organs during growth is Botrytis cinerea. The pathways of stilbene formation in plants as response to fungal infections are not completely understood [4]. To gain more knowledge, Vitis vinifera cells were inoculated with methyl-β-cyclodextrin and methyl jasmonate, which lead to an increase in the concentration of resveratrol [30]. Both isomers of resveratrol, cis- and trans-, were found inside and outside of the cells, in contrast to another stilbene, piceid, which was found only inside the cells. Using the same elicitor (methyl jasmonate) in grape culture cells leads to the formation of trans-ɛ-viniferin, trans-δ-viniferin, trans-3-methylviniferin, and trans-piceatannol [31].

The amount of stilbenes formed as response to fungal infections depends on the grape variety [32]. Postharvest irradiation with UV light can also stimulate the synthesis of stilbenoids in grapes [24, 33, 34]. Up to 15.25 mg/kg of total stilbenes (of which 10.89 mg/kg was resveratrol) were found in grapes subjected to UV irradiation, compared to control where only 0.61 mg/kg have been found. In addition to resveratrol, p-viniferin (1.06 mg/kg), α-viniferin (0.34 mg/kg), and piceatannol (2.95 mg/kg) have been quantified in the UV-irradiated grapes samples. Similar results have been observed with white grapes, although the amounts of stilbenes were lower [35]. Besides increasing the concentration of stilbenes in wines, postharvest exposure of grapes to ultraviolet C was also found to result in the formation of new compounds (e.g., isorhapontigenin [24]).

The concentration of resveratrol in wines is influenced not only by grape variety [27], geographical region, climate [26], the chemical treatments applied to the vine to prevent pathogenic infections, the occurrence of fungal infections in grapes, postharvest treatments, etc., but also by the vinification procedures [36, 37]. Evolution and stability of resveratrol and its derivatives during wine making and maturation is of great interest [36, 38]. It has been observed that, during wine maturation, the amount of both isomers of resveratrol decrease, from 0.37 mg/L of resveratrol found in the grape juice, to less than the detection limit in the final product, the same trend being also observed for piceid. The decrease of stilbenoids in wines exposed to UV irradiation [33] was proportionally much lower, from 6.52 mg/L resveratrol and 1.90 mg/L picetannol initially to 4.12 mg/L and 1.05 mg/L, respectively, in bottled wines.

Wines from all over the world have been shown to contain stilbenes. Red grapes have a higher content in resveratrol than white and rose grapes [36, 39]. A review published in 2007 [40] has shown that Canada produces wines with some of the highest resveratrol contents (3.2 ± 1.5 mg/L), calculated as mean between lowest and highest concentration in cited articles. In the same study the highest level of resveratrol, 3.6 ± 2.9 mg/L was found in Pinot Noir wines from France, while wines of Agiorgitiko variety grown in Greece displayed the lowest contents (0.6 ± 0.2 mg/L). In Italy, a total of 1.31 mg/L of trans-resveratrol have been found in Nero d’Avola, the main red wine variety from grapes grown in Sicily [41]. North African red wines also contain stilbenoids. A quantity of 1.20 mg/L of trans-viniferin has been found in Merlot wine, 0.69 mg/L in Cabernet Sauvignon from Algeria [42]. In Brazil, 2.27 mg/L of cis-resveratrol were determined in Cabernet Sauvignon; however, the highest level was observed in a local variety, Tannat, which contained 5.49 mg/L. A content of 7.81 mg/L trans-resveratrol was found in an Australian Pinot Noir [43]. Stilbene levels in wines from the Idaho Valley region in the US, expressed as trans-resveratrol, ranged from 0.97 mg/L (Riesling) to 12.88 mg/L (Cabernet Sauvignon) [44].

17.3 Mass Spectrometry Analysis of Grapes and Wines Samples

Identification and detection of stilbenes are typically performed directly by electrochemistry [45], nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), mass-spectrometry (MS [46]), and capillary electrophoresis [47] or, most of the time, by coupling chromatographic separation with sensitive detection procedures. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was coupled with DAD, fluorescence, electrochemical, or mass spectrometry detectors [48–50]. The coupling of HPLC or GC with MS allows assessing in detail complex matrices with high sensitivity, being successfully used for both analytical applications and basic research [51]. The mass fragmentation patterns acquired by mass spectrometry can help to identify a wide range of compounds, either by comparison with an external standard solution or based on mass spectral data available in MS libraries.

The mass spectrometer is more than just another analytical instrument. Currently, it is a very important analytical tool in many fields such as chemistry, biochemistry, and medicine and the complexity of this instrument has increased tremendously. A significant number of ionization methods and types of mass analyzers have been developed and used in different ways for multiple applications [52–54]. Intensive research is being conducted in the field of biomedicine and the interest in discovering new compounds with improved bioavailability that can be used to fight major diseases continues to rise.

Mass spectrometry has been shown to be invaluable in the analysis of stilbenes from grapes, grape cell cultures, and wines, as well as for food supplements. For example, although more than 400 stilbenes from various plants are known in the present [55], other 23 new stilbenes were only discovered in 2013 with the help of MS [23]. Some cosmetics and numerous dietary supplements that contain stilbenoids and especially resveratrol can be found today on the market under many presentations: crèmes, capsules, beverages, chocolate bars, etc. (e.g., Resveratrol WINETIME bar™) [8].

The metabolic pathways and the rate of adsorption of active stilbenes from such products are not well investigated. Pharmacokinetics of stilbenes and the effect of various compounds from this class on various cell lines are two important research domains where the use of MS has a critical importance [56].

A variety of approaches have been used with mass spectrometry for discovering and quantifying stilbenoids in different types of matrices including: HPLC-ESI-MS for the detection of two important stilbenes, trans-resveratrol and trans-piceid in chocolate [57], the identification of a new resveratrol hexoside by reversed phase-HPLC coupled with atmospheric-pressure chemical ionization (APCI) tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) in cocoa liquor [58], and the use of high resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (HR-ESI-MS) in defining the chemical structure of novel stilbenoids from Polygonum cuspidatum [59] or from Rumex bucephalophorus roots [60] (compounds with a very important biological activity against α-glucosidase, important in controlling hyperglycemia). Mass spectrometry was either used in conjunction with separation techniques—typically GC or HPLC—or was directly applied to the samples (direct infusion ESI-MS).

17.3.1 HPLC-MS for the Analysis of Stilbenes

HPLC is the most commonly used separation technique coupled with mass spectrometry for the quantification and detection of stilbenoids. This coupling combines the strength of chromatographic separation with the specificity and resolution achieved with mass spectrometry. Ions produced from the various sample components are identified and quantitated by different approaches. Various types of ionization methods (electrospray ionization ESI [61, 62]; atmospheric pressure chemical ionization APCI [63]; atmospheric pressure photoionisation (APPI–MSn) [64], and mass analyzers (TOF [65], QTOF, triple quadrupole (QQQ) [66], ion trap [43])) were used for the analysis of stilbenes. The MS data was acquired either in the positive or negative mode and compared with authentic markers for identification. Some reports claimed that the negative ionization mode offered more information related to the chemical structure of the compounds that could be used for confirming peak identity, as compared to the positive ionization mode [43]. Most authors preferred selected ion monitoring (SIM) over multiple ion monitoring as MS analyzing mode, in order to reach the best sensitivity and reproducibility [67].

Several examples of the practical application of mass spectrometry are detailed further below, to underline the power of this technique, pertaining in particular to the identification of stilbenoids in complex matrices or to explain the pharmacokinetics of these compounds.

In vitro adsorption of resveratrol and its derivatives from the dietary source of roasted and boiled peanuts has been studied in details using HPLC-UV and HPLC coupled with a quadrupole MS [56]. The assay has been done on a human adenocarcinoma cell line (Caco-2). The separation of the compounds was made by reversed-phase LC on a classical C18 column using gradient elution and the spectra acquisition in the range of 200–600 nm. The LC eluent was transferred in the MS interface without stream splitting. This method uses an APCI source (positive ionization) and the ion abundance was acquired in the range of 50–600 amu. MS was used to distinguish the aglycone and glycosidic forms of resveratrol after gastro-intestinal digestion. The MS spectra analysis revealed indeed the presence of resveratrol diglycosides in peanuts. Further the transepithelial transport of resveratrol has been investigated and the results of this study have shown that the hydrolytic products of resveratrol glycosides are transported at a higher rate than the glycosidic forms. They can be found in a higher amount in roasted peanuts in comparison with the boiled sample. The same type of ionization source but operating in the negative mode has been successfully used also for stilbene detection in wines with great sensitivity [63].

A study aiming at the characterization of some newly discovered stilbenes from downy mildew-infected grapevine leaves found that APPI lead to cleaner MS spectra and allowed to determine resveratrol oligomers with higher sensitivity compared to ESI ionization. MSn spectra obtained were used to propose chemical structures for the unknown stilbenes [64].

The relationship between stilbene composition of grape skins or stems and that of the corresponding wine has been studied by HPLC-ESI-MS [61]. The MS spectra were recorded in both positive and negative modes. The MS data allowed to conclude that although both grape stems and skin contain high amounts of stilbenes, their transfer rates to wine are very low: only 4 % of resveratrol and 14 % of piceid in stem-contact wine were contributed by stem tissue while the transfer rate for grape skin is lower that 11 %. The HPLC-ESI-MS technique has been successfully used to determine compounds like trans-resveratrol and δ-viniferin [32], piceid metabolites in rats [68], isomers of resveratrol dimer, and their analogues [69] or for the analysis of polyphenols (including resveratrol) in order to classify wines according to their geographic origin, grape variety, and vintage [65].

Applications based on mass spectrometry detection kept pace with modern chromatographic separation or with improved extraction procedures, for a rapid and sensitive analysis. Following this trend, 41 stilbenes (from which 23 new ones) were determined in the same run in a 2013 study by researchers at the University of British Columbia, Canada. The new discoveries were possible by coupling the fast separation by UHPLC with ESI-Q-TOF MS detection [23].

In another example, resveratrol and several secondary metabolites were identified by RP-HPLC and μLC–ESI ion trap MS/MS following selective solid-phase extraction (SPE) with reusable molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs, Fig. 17.2 ). The coupling between selective pre-concentration using MIPs and the sensitivity of MS detection allowed to achieve a detection limit of 8.87 × 10−3 mg/L for trans-resveratrol [43].

Fig. 17.2
figure 2

Base peak chromatograms (BPC) of a Pinot noir red wine sample after treatment using either an (E)-resveratrol-templated MISPE (back chromatogram) cartridge or the corresponding NISPE (front chromatogram) cartridge. The samples were analyzed in the m/z range from 100 to 1,200, using LC–ESI-MS/MS in the negative ionization mode. MISPE: molecularly imprinted polymer solid-phase extraction. NISPE: non-imprinted polymer solid-phase extraction. Reprinted from [43]. Copyright (2013), with permission from Elsevier

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The application of mass spectrometry in mechanistic studies of resveratrol against radical oxygen species can give insight into the pathways involved. Based on HPLC-ESI-MS data [70], a mechanism has been proposed for the interaction of resveratrol with 1O2 (Fig. 17.3). The authors have shown that an endoperoxide intermediate is formed, followed by a hydrolyzed intermediate and quinine as final product. This suggests that resveratrol can be useful as a drug for treating 1O2-mediated diseases.

Fig. 17.3
figure 3

Proposed mechanism for resveratrol against 1O2. Reprinted with permission from [70]. Copyright (2010) American Chemical Society

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17.3.2 GC-MS for the Analysis of Stilbenes

Stilbenoids have been analyzed also by coupling gas chromatography with mass spectrometry (GC-MS). A chemical derivatization step has to precede analysis by gas chromatography in order to transform the nonvolatile stilbenes into volatile, thermostable compounds. Various extraction methods for stilbenes have been developed to facilitate their sensitive detection by GC-MS such as: SPE [71] or solid-phase microextraction (SPME) [71], dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction (DLLME) [5], stir bar sorbtive extraction [72, 73], directly suspended droplet microextraction (DSDME) [74], etc.

Such an example is the detection of five polyphenols (trans- and cis-resveratrol, piceatannol, catechin, and epicatechin) in wine and grapes using a SPME-GC coupled to a quadrupole mass selective spectrometer equipped with an inert ion source that operates in electron-impact (EI) mode at 70 eV [75]. The derivatization reaction used in the study is silylation, the most commonly used for GC analysis of polyphenols. An alternative derivatization approach relies on acetylation [71].

A DLLME technique has been proposed for the first time in a 2012 study for the determination of three hydroxylated stilbenes (trans-pterostilbene, resveratrol, and piceatannol) in wine samples. By coupling this with GC-EI-MS analysis, it was possible to quantify the above stilbenes in the range from 0.6 and 5 ng/mL [5].

Resveratrol and its stilbenes analogues were suggested to act as chemopreventive agents in colon cancer. Studies have been conducted both in vitro on colon cancer cell lines and in vivo on immunodeficient mice to check the efficiency of 24 stilbenes against this disease. An important part in this work was the GC-MS analysis of the serum from mice treated with the investigated compounds [76].

A method based on stir bar sorptive extraction coupled to gas chromatography–mass spectrometry by means of a thermal desorption unit (SBSE-TD-GC–MS) has been optimized for the determination of cis/trans isomers of resveratrol, piceatannol, and oxyresveratrol in wines [73]. This study uses a GC coupled with a quadrupole mass selective spectrometer and an inert ion source. The compounds were quantified in the SIM mode in order to improve the sensitivity (Fig. 17.4). The major compound determined was trans-resveratrol, with concentrations in the range of 3–230 μg/L, depending on the type of wine.

Fig. 17.4
figure 4

(a) SBSE-TD-GC–MS chromatogram obtained for a spiked white wine fortified at 2 μg L−1 under SIM mode. Peaks correspond to: (1) cis-resveratrol, (2) cis-oxyresveratrol, (3) cis-piceatannol, (4) trans-resveratrol, (5) trans-oxyresveratrol, and (6) trans-piceatannol. (b) Mass spectra of each compound. Reprinted from [73] with permission from Elsevier

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In a few studies, although stilbenes were separated by HPLC, detection by mass spectrometry was done off-line. For example, a new resveratrol dimer (cis-ε-viniferin) was isolated and identified in an Algerian red wine using HPLC and MALDI-TOF MS [42]. Spectra were recorded in the positive-ion mode using the reflectron and with an accelerating voltage of 20 kV. One advantage of this technique was that it allowed the simultaneous detection of trans-ε-viniferin. Consequently, based on MS data it has been shown that both viniferin isomers exhibited marked cytotoxic activity breast human cancer cell lines and antimutagenic activity [65].

17.3.3 Mass Spectrometry Analysis of Stilbenes Without Separation

17.3.3.1 Direct Infusion ESI-MS

In direct infusion mass spectrometry, the samples are analyzed without prior extraction or separation. This eliminates the bias due to sample pretreatment and allows a fast screening of samples for the compounds of interest. Identification of these compounds is made by comparing their ESI-MS/MS fragmentation pattern with that of standard compounds from spectral libraries. A high number of substances from different chemical classes such as organic acids, inorganic acids, and phenolic compounds can thus be identified in the same run in a matter of minutes [46].

The MS spectra of commercial tannin and of several types of red wine (FN, PN, CS, NM), from the same vineyard and harvest (2012) collected by ESI-MS direct infusion in positive mode, are shown in Fig. 17.5 (m/z range 100–850). Also included is the profile acquired for an oenological tannin used in the same vineyard for tannin correction of wine in some vinification procedures. The ESI-MS and ESI-MS/MS were acquired using a QTOF Micro mass spectrometer in positive mode and a micro ESI source with the capillary voltage at 3,200 V, at a flow rate of 5 μl/min, according to published procedures [77–79].

Fig. 17.5
figure 5

ESI-MS analysis (direct infusion) of tannin and various wines (FN, PN, CS, NM). Shown are the peaks with the m/z ranging from 100 to 850. Circled are the peaks either common to all wines or specific to some wines and tannin or specific to one particular wine. These peaks are discussed in the text

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As observed, the wines analyzed have common peaks either in all wines and tannin, such as the peak with m/z of 381.27, peaks common to a particular wine and tannin (i.e., peaks with m/z of 397.25 and 719.42, found in tannin and in FN wine or peak with m/z of 274.25 found in tannin and PN wine), peaks found in some wines, but not in others or in tannins (i.e., peak with m/z of 809.17 found in PN and NM and peak with m/z of 513.07, found in PN and CS; none of these peaks were observed in tannin), or peaks specific to one type of wine (i.e., peak with m/z of 459.12, specific to tannins or peak with m/z of 493.12, specific to CS wine). The peaks with the highest intensity that were either common or specific to tannin or to wines were selected for fragmentation and are currently investigated for identification. MS/MS fragmentation of the peaks observed in the MS in tannin and various wines produced a series of spectra shown in Figs. 17.6 and 17.7 (they are currently under investigation).

Fig. 17.6
figure 6

ESI-MS/MS analysis (direct infusion) of precursor ions detected in ESI-MS in tannin (m/z of 381.28, 397.27, and 591.17) and FN wine (m/z of 755.55, 719.00). The collision energy was optimized for each precursor and varied from 5 to 50 V

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Fig. 17.7
figure 7

ESI-MS/MS analysis (direct infusion) of precursor ions detected in ESI-MS in FN wine (m/z of 513.13 and 549.09), PN wine (m/z of 809.00), NM wine (m/z of 579.00), and CS wine (m/z of 365.00). The collision energy was optimized for each precursor and varied from 5 to 50 V

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All these MS spectra of tannins and various wines were recorded under ESI positive ionization, under slightly acidic conditions (red wines are acidic, with a pH ~3.5). However, the full composition of a particular wine (and tannin) is usually not revealed under a particular set of experimental conditions. For example, analyzing the same wines under very acidic conditions (i.e., in acetonitrile (ACN) containing 0.1 % formic acid (FA)) can increase the number of molecules that one can identify. Furthermore, analyzing the same samples by ESI under negative ionization at neutral or alkaline conditions will surely lead to identification of additional peaks that correspond to molecules which are part of and perhaps specific to some particular wines. Examples of MS spectra of wines analyzed in ACN or in ACN containing 0.1 % FA are shown in Fig. 17.8 (FN wine) and Fig. 17.9 (PN wine). In FN wine (Fig. 17.8), the peaks with m/z of 397.24, or 719.42 are specific to FN analyzed in ACN with no FA, while the peaks with m/z of 331.02, 535.02, or 639.04 are specific to FN analyzed in ACN with 0.1 % FA. Common peaks were also observed (i.e., peaks with m/z of 453.16 or 493.02). In PN wine (Fig. 17.9), peaks specific to PN analyzed in ACN without FA (m/z of 116.06, 513.08 or 809.19) or peaks specific to PN analyzed in AC with 0.1 % FA (m/z of 365.08 or 599.04), as well as peaks common to both conditions (m/z of 381.05 or 493.12) were also observed.

Fig. 17.8
figure 8

ESI-MS analysis (direct infusion) of FN wine analyzed in ACN and ACN with 0.1 % FA. The m/z range is 100–850 (a) and 100–650 (b)

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Fig. 17.9
figure 9

ESI-MS analysis (direct infusion) of PN wine analyzed in ACN and ACN with 0.1 % FA. The m/z range is 100–850 (a) and 100–650 (b)

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The MS spectra are a snapshot capturing unique characteristics of each type of wine and can be used by applying chemometrics for data interpretation in order to differentiate wine varieties. The high throughput of direct infusion ESI-MS allowed, among others, to follow the evolution of samples of must and wines obtained from different grape varieties before and after fermentation by acquiring specific fingerprints and identifying marker ions for wine and must. Principal Component Analysis was used to group samples according to these markers [80, 81]. As some authors noted, ESI-MS in negative mode can provide more analytical information compared to the positive mode as it leads to lower amounts of salt adducts and to a higher number and variety of ions [82].

The increasing evolution of analytical instrumentation providing higher mass resolution, robustness, and accuracy has raised the ESI-MS technique from the rank of “fingerprinting” tool to one of metabolite profiling [83]. ESI-MS combined with single or hybrid quadrupole, time-of-flight, ion trap, Orbitrap, and FT-ICR-MS technology are time-consuming analytical approaches that offer the possibility to obtain a complete metabolome analysis in complex samples [84]. For example, the ion cyclotron resonance-Fourier transform mass spectrometry (ICR-FT/MS) has been used to develop a nontargeted method for metabolite profiling in oenology [85] or to differentiate grapes and corresponding wines from distinct vineyards, according to complex chemical fingerprints [86].

More towards biomedical applications, direct infusion ESI coupled with an ion trap mass spectrometer has been used to study the interaction between e-viniferin glucoside (VG), a resveratrol-derived dimer, and amyloid β-peptides responsible for triggering neuronal degeneration [87]. Using this technique it was possible to observe a non-covalent complex between VG and Aβ. The formation of this complex leads to decreased cytotoxicity of Aβ against PC12 cells lines in vitro.

17.4 Conclusions

Resveratrol and related stilbenes represent a class of compounds with extraordinary potential for the biomedical field, due to their aging-delaying effects and their potential against cardiovascular diseases and cancer. New chemical compounds from this class, and even more importantly, their interactions in the human body remain yet to be discovered. Mass spectrometry proved to be of critical importance for the study of stilbenes that are important in the biomedical field. Its use is expected to increase in the future, from the simple screening of samples in search of those containing the desired stilbenes up to complex investigations aiming to unravel new chemical structures and understanding their interactions.