Skeletal muscle mass and function deteriorates considerably with increasing age, although the mechanisms responsible for this deterioration are poorly understood. One theory is that as we age there is an increased state of inflammation and oxidation status of cells and that these changes are major contributors to age-related muscle degeneration. Dietary polyphenols (secondary metabolites of plants) have been proposed as potential nutritional interventions which may modulate inflammation; a number of them have been shown to have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. In particular, Resveratrol, a polyphenol found in red wine, has been shown to be both anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidising through the up-regulation of the NAD dependent deacetylase sirtuin 1 (SIRT1). This increase in SIRT1 activity has been shown to, in turn, increase the production of anti-oxidant enzymes.The aim of this study was to determine physiologically relevant concentrations of resveratrol that are functional but not toxic to primary cells isolated from rat skeletal muscle. Further work will then use these optimum concentrations to determine the effect of this intervention on muscle function using a 3D muscle construct.A Syto10/DeadRed cell viability assay showed that 0.1 and 1µM of resveratrol did not affect the viability of mononuclear (myoblasts) or polynucleated (myotubes) primary skeletal muscle cells, up to and including 48hrs of treatment (n=6). 10µM of resveratrol did not affect the viability of myoblasts after 48hrs; however, cell counts showed decreased cell number (n=6; p<0.05, Students t-test). Viability of myotubes decreased after 5days of treatment with 10µM of resveratrol (n=3).Western blotting analysis showed that when skeletal muscle cells were treated up to 24hrs with 0.1 and 1µM of resveratrol SIRT1 was up regulated. 10µM of resveratrol did not increase SIRT1 expression at any time points. When treated for up to 24 hrs with 0.1,1 and 10µM of resveratrol the anti-oxidant catalase was up-regulated dose dependently. 0.1,1 and 10µM of resveratrol were all able to up-regulate MnSOD when treated for 3hrs, however only 1 and 10µM was able to withstand this up regulation for up to 12hrs. 24hrs resveratrol treatment decreased MnSOD expression at all concentrations.This data suggest that at 1µM and 10µM resveratrol is consistently functional in skeletal muscle cells. Since 10µM of resveratrol did not increase SIRT1 expression we hypothesise that the up-regulation of the anti-oxidant enzymes seen following resveratrol treatment is via different mechanisms than SIRT1 activation.