INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASES (IBD) ARE A GROUP OF CHRONIC, RECURRING CONDITIONS IN THE COLON AND INTESTINE. IBD HAS NOT MEDICAL CURE AND MAY BE ALLEVIATED THROUGH DIETARY INTERVENTION. NATIVE TO THE SOUTHERN UNITED STATES, MUSCADINE GRAPES HAVE A UNIQUE POLYPHENOL PROFILE, AND THE MAJORITY ARE CONSUMED AS MUSCADINE WINE. OUR GOAL IS TO ASSESS THE EFFECT OF DEALCOHOLIZED PURPLE MUSCADINE WINE (DMW) ON THE PROGRESSION OF IBD AND EXPLORE THE MECHANISMS. OUR PRELIMINARY STUDIES SUGGESTED THAT DMW WAS MORE EFFECTIVE THAN MUSCADINE GRAPES IN SUPPRESSING INFLAMMATION AND PRESERVING GUT BACTERIA. WE WILL TEST WHETHER DMW PROTECTS AGAINST INFLAMMATION CAUSED BY BOTH INTESTINAL IRRITATION AND GENETIC SUSCEPTIBILITY. WE WILL ASSESS HOW POLYPHENOLS IN MUSCADINE WINE ARE METABOLIZED BY GUT MICROBIOTA TO GENERATE BIOACTIVE METABOLITES. THE OVERALL OBJECTIVE IS TO ELUCIDATE THE ROLE OF A FOOD AS WELL AS INTERACTIONS BETWEEN FOOD AND GUT BACTERIA IN PROMOTING GUT HEALTH.