Cultivar-Dependent Phytochemical Composition and Cosmetic Potential of Grapevine Callus Cultures

Abstract

Plant callus cultures are increasingly explored as a source of skin-care ingredients because they enable the production of biomass rich in bioactive metabolites under controlled and reproducible conditions. Callus cultures offer a promising platform for the controlled production of bioactive metabolites independent of environmental and seasonal variability, making them attractive sources of innovative dermatological raw materials. In the present study, callus cultures of six grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) cultivars (Chardonnay, Hibernal, Regent, Marechal Foch, Seyval Blanc, and Rondo) were established and optimized to produce biologically active extracts with potential cosmetic applications. Cultures were maintained on Murashige and Skoog (MS) and Schenk and Hildebrandt (SH) media supplemented with different combinations of plant growth regulators. Biomass growth was evaluated using the growth index (Gi), while phytochemical profiling was performed using UPLC-MS/MS. A total of twelve metabolites were identified, representing several compound classes, including amino acids, phenolic acid (e.g., gallic acid), flavan-3-ols, and stilbenoids. Distinct cultivar- and medium-dependent differences in metabolite accumulation were noted. The highest total metabolite content was detected in cv. Marechal Foch cultivated on MS medium, reaching 756.85 mg/g DW, while extracts of cvs. Chardonnay and Hibernal grown on SH medium accumulated particularly high levels of stilbenoids. The antioxidant potential of the extracts was assessed using DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP assays, and skin-whitening activity was evaluated through tyrosinase inhibition testing. Seyval Blanc extracts demonstrated the strongest antioxidant potential in the FRAP assay (3.10 mM TE/L), whereas Chardonnay cultured on MS medium exhibited the highest tyrosinase inhibitory activity (65.06%). These findings demonstrate that grapevine callus cultures represent a valuable and sustainable source of antioxidant and skin-whitening compounds and highlight their considerable potential as multifunctional active ingredients for innovative dermatological formulations.