BECAUSE of the potent properties and health benefits of red wine – resveratrol, scientists and researchers are now contemplating  making a potential red wine medicine.

The researchers said their work with mice may help settle the debate about resveratrol's biochemistry and could advance efforts to develop resveratrol-based medicines.

"Resveratrol has potential as a therapy for diverse diseases such as type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer's disease and heart disease," said study author Dr. Jay Chung, chief of the Laboratory of Obesity and Aging Research at the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.

But before transforming resveratrol in capsule, Chung said they want to know exactly what cells resveratrol will target.

Resveratrol appears to inhibit proteins called phosphodiesterases, which help regulate cell energy, according to the researchers.

Previous studies found that resveratrol's primary target is sirtuin 1, but Chung’s new research found that resveratrol activity required another protein called AMPK. This would not be the case if resveratrol directly interacted with sirtuin 1.

The researchers analyzed the metabolic activity in cells treated with resveratrol and identified the protein PDE4 in the skeletal muscle as the principal target for the health benefits of resveratrol.

Follow-up tests with mice confirmed that resveratrol attaches to and inhibits PDE proteins. Results from animal research are not necessarily applicable to humans. Much more research is needed before resveratrol drugs could be developed.