Resveratrol and its derivatives are the most important phytoalexins with a crucial role in plant defense mechanisms. These compounds can occur either naturally or in response to abiotic stresses. Among them, salinity is one of the major threats to the sustainability and productivity of agro-economically important species, particularly those involved in the vini-viticulture sector. Understating salinity tolerance mechanisms in plants is required for the development of novel engineering tools. This study aimed to investigate the potential role of resveratrol derivatives in salinity tolerance of wild grapevines. Our data revealed that the tolerant Tunisian wild grapevine genotype “Ouchtata” exhibited an increased accumulation of resveratrol derivatives (glycosylated and non-glycosylated resveratrol and t-ɛ-viniferin and hydroxylated t-piceatannol) in both stems and roots, along with an increased total antioxidant activity (TAA) compared to the sensitive genotype “Djebba” under stress conditions, suggesting an involvement of these stilbenes in redox homeostasis, thereby, protecting cells from salt-induced oxidative damage. Overall, our study revealed, for the first time, an active role for resveratrol derivatives in salt stress tolerance in wild grapevine, highlighting their potential use as metabolic markers in future grapevine breeding programs for a sustainable vini-viticulture in salt-affected regions.

白藜芦醇及其衍生物是最重要的植物抗毒素，在植物防御机制中发挥着至关重要的作用。这些化合物可以自然产生，也可以响应非生物胁迫而产生。其中，盐度是对农业经济重要物种的可持续性和生产力的主要威胁之一，特别是那些涉及葡萄栽培部门的物种。开发新型工程工具需要了解植物的耐盐机制。本研究旨在探讨白藜芦醇衍生物在野生葡萄树耐盐性中的潜在作用。我们的数据显示，耐受的突尼斯野生葡萄基因型“Ouchtata”在茎和根中表现出白藜芦醇衍生物（糖基化和非糖基化白藜芦醇以及t-ɛ -viniferin和羟基化t-piceatannol）积累的增加，并且总白藜芦醇衍生物的积累增加与应激条件下敏感基因型“Djebba”相比，抗氧化活性（TAA）较高，表明这些芪参与氧化还原稳态，从而保护细胞免受盐诱导的氧化损伤。总体而言，我们的研究首次揭示了白藜芦醇衍生物在野生葡萄树耐盐胁迫方面的积极作用，强调了它们在未来葡萄树育种计划中作为代谢标记的潜在用途，以实现受盐影响地区的可持续葡萄栽培。