• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.241-245
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• 2013

Aging is the single most important risk factor that increases susceptibility to many forms of diseases. As such, much effort has been put forward to elucidate the mechanisms behind the processes of aging and to discover novel compounds that retain anti-aging activities. Korean red ginseng has been used for a variety of medical purposes in eastern countries for several thousands of years. It has been shown that Korean red ginseng affects a number of biological activities including, but not limited to, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative and anti-diabetic pathways. However, few studies have been performed to evaluate its anti-aging effects with an in vivo system. Here Drosophila melanogaster as an in vivo model organism demonstrates that Korean red ginseng tonic extends lifespan, increases resistance to starvation stress and prevents weight gain. This data suggest that Korean red ginseng may regulate organisms' metabolism in favor of extending lifespan.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.218-224
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• 2014

Objectives : Zizyphus jujuba fruits(ZJF), a traditional Korean medicine has various biological activities such as anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative and neuro-protective effects. However, it is still unclear whether ZJF has any biological effect on anti-aging. In this study, we examined the effect of ZJF on lifespan and thermal stress in C. elegans. Methods and Results : ZJF water extracts were fermented for 7 days(F7-ZJF) and 14 days(F14-ZJF) by Laetiporus sulphureus to increase secondary metabolites such as aglycone of flavonoids and terpenoids. In the lifespan assay, ZJF water extracts and fermented ZJF were treated on the agar medium plate with age synchronized egg stage of C. elegans. Treatment of F7-ZJF-$200{\mu}g/mL$ with OP-50 E. coli and F14-ZJF-$200{\mu}g/mL$ with OP-50 E. coli significantly increased life span of C. elegans(N2) at thermal stress condition of $25^{\circ}C$. Moreover mRNA levels of lifespan associated HSP 16.1, HSP 70, and HSF-1 were increased at thermal stress condition of $25^{\circ}C$. However, in the equilibration temperature of $20^{\circ}C$ after stress condition of $35^{\circ}C$ for 2 hr, F-14-ZJF-$200{\mu}g/mL$ treatment decreased the levels of heat shock protein in hsp16.2/GFP C. elegans. Conclusions : Our study indicates that prolong role of fermented-ZJF in C. elegans is mediated by control HSPs production.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.161-172
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• 2003

Explanted mammalian cells perform a limited number of cell division in vitro and than are arrested in a state known as replicative senescence. Such cells are irreversibly blocked, mostly in the G1 phase of cell cycle, and are no longer sensitive to growth factor stimulation. Thus replicative senescence is defined as a permanent and irreversible loss of replicative potential of cells. For this characteristic, replicative senescence seems to evolve to protect mammalian organism from cancer. However, senescence also contributes to aging. It seems to decrease with age of the cell donor and, as a form of cell senescence, is thought to underlie the aging process. Extensive evidence supports the idea that progressive telomere loss contributes to the phenomenon of cell senescence. Telomeres are repetitive structures of the sequence (TTAGGG)n at the ends of linear chromosomes. It has been shown that the average length of telomere repeats in human somatic cells decreases by 30∼200 bp with each cell division. It is generally believed that when telomeres reach a critical length, a signal is activated to initiate the senescent program. This has given rise to the hypothesis that telomeres act as mitotic clocks to regulate lifespan. One proposes that cumulative oxidative stress, mainly reactive oxygen species generated from mitochondria, may mainly cause telomere shortening, accelerating aging. Here, the biological importance and mechanism of replicative senescence were briefly reviewed. Also it was summarized that how oxidative stress affects replicative senescence and telomere shortening.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.38-43
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• 2015

Ligularia stenocephala has a wide range of types of constituents with various pharmacological properties. Here in this study, we examined the effect of methanolic extract of L. stenocephala (MLS) on the lifespan and stress tolerance using Caenorhabditis elegans model system. We found that lifespan of wild-type worms was significantly lengthened in the presence of MLS in a dose dependent manner. MLS also elevated the tolerance of worms against osmotic, heat shock, and oxidative stress. We also demonstrated in vivo antioxidant capacity of MLS by checking intracellular reactive oxygen species levels as well as antioxidant enzyme activities such as catalase and superoxide dismutase. We further investigated several aging-related factors, including pharyngeal pumping rate and body length. Here, we showed that MLS exerts longevity effect independent of both factors. In addition, body movement of aged worms was significantly elevated, suggesting MLS could enhance healthspan as well as lifespan.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.275-281
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• 2014

After harvesting the medicinal parts of Curcuma longa, the remaining underground parts were discarded. From the remaining underground parts of Curcuma longa quercetin-3-O-${\beta}$-D-glucopyranoside-7-O-${\alpha}$-L-rhamnopyranoside (Q37) was isolated. The antioxidant activities in vitro and lifespan-extension effect of Q37 were elucidated using the Caenorhabditis elegans. The 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging effect of Q37 showed similar potent activities in comparison with vitamin C. Q37 also showed potent superoxide quenching activities as measured by the riboflavin- and xanthine-originated superoxide quenching activity tests. Q37 prolonged lifespan of worms under normal culture condition. In terms of protective effect of Q37 on the stress conditions such as thermal and oxidative stresses, Q37-treated worms exhibited enhanced survival rate, as compared to control worms. To know the possible mechanism of Q37-mediated increased lifespan and stress resistance of worms, we examined the activities of Q37on superoxide dismutase (SOD), and invested intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels. The results revealed that Q37 was able to elevate SOD activity of worms and reduce intracellular ROS accumulation in a dose-dependent manner.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.113-124
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• 2009

Aging is a multifaceted biological process that affects all organs and organ systems of the body. This review provides an up-to-date analysis of this highly exciting, rapidly changing field of science. The aging process is largely under genetic control but is highly responsive to diverse environmental influences. The genes that control aging are those that are involved with cell maintenance, cell damage and repair. The environmental factors that accelerate aging are those that influence either damage of cellular macromolecules, or interfere with their repair. Prominent among these are chronic inflammation, chronic infection, some metallic chemicals, ultraviolet light, and others that heighten oxidative stress. Other environment factors slow the aging process. Included among these agents are resveratrol and vitamin D. In addition, dietary restriction and exercise have been found to extend human lifespan. The various mechanisms whereby all these agents exert their influence on aging include epigenetic modification, chromatin maintenance, protection of telomeres, and anti-oxidant defense, among others. The complex process of aging remains under continued, intense investigation.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.280-286
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• 2016

Helianthus tuberosus Linne (Compositae) has been widely used as a folk remedy to treat various ailments including fever, bleeding, fracture and contusion. This study was designed to elucidate the lifespan extending activities MeOH extract of the tubers of Helianthus tuberosus Linne (MHT) using Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) model system. In the current study, we found that the lifespan of worms was significantly extended by MHT supplement, dose-dependently. MHT also provided robust protection against various stress environments such as osmotic, thermal and oxidative condition. In addition, elevated antioxidant enzyme activities by MHT resulted in attenuation of intracellular reactive oxygen spices (ROS) levels, suggesting antioxidant capacity of MHT might be associated with longevity properties. Herein, we showed that altered food intake and growth of worms were also involved in the MHT activity. Furthermore, MHT increased body movement in aged worms, indicating possible role for MHT in healthspan.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.680-686
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• 2023

Aging is a complex series of multi-organ processes that occur in various organisms. As such, an in vivo study using an animal model of aging is necessary to define its exact mechanisms and identify anti-aging substances. Using Drosophila as an in vivo model system, we identified Crataegus pinnatifida extract (CPE) as a novel anti-aging substance. Regardless of sex, Drosophila treated with CPE showed a significantly increased lifespan compared to those without CPE. In this study, we also evaluated the involvement of CPE in aging-related biochemical pathways, including TOR, stem cell generation, and antioxidative effects, and found that the representative genes of each pathway were induced by CPE administration. CPE administration did not result in significant differences in fecundity, locomotion, feeding amount, or TAG level. These conclusions suggest that CPE is a good candidate as an anti-aging food substance capable of promoting a healthy lifespan.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.568-575
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• 2018

In order to discover lifespan-extending compounds made from natural resources, activity-guided fractionation of Zingiber officinale Roscoe (Zingiberaceae) ethanol extract was performed using the Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) model system. The compound 6-gingerol was isolated from the most active ethyl acetate soluble fraction, and showed potent longevity-promoting activity. It also elevated the survival rate of worms against stressful environment including thermal, osmotic, and oxidative conditions. Additionally, 6-gingerol elevated the antioxidant enzyme activities of C. elegans, and showed a dose-depend reduction of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation in worms. Further studies demonstrated that the increased stress tolerance of 6-gingerol-mediated worms could result from the promotion of stress resistance proteins such as heat shock protein (HSP-16.2) and superoxide dismutase (SOD-3). The lipofuscin levels in 6-gingerol treated intestinal worms were decreased in comparison to the control group. No significant 6-gingerol-related changes, including growth, food intake, reproduction, and movement were noted. These results suggest that 6-gingerol exerted longevity-promoting activities independently of these factors and could extend the human lifespan.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.28 no.8
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• pp.931-937
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• 2018

Triptolide is a compound found in Tripterygium wilfordii and reported to have an anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant activities. A previous study shows that the dietary supplementation with triptolide increases resistance to environmental stressors, including oxidative stress, heat shock, and ultraviolet irradiation, and extends lifespan in C. elegans. Here, we investigated the underlying mechanisms involved in the lifespan-extending effect of triptolide. The effect of triptolide on age-related diseases, such as diabetes mellitus and Alzheimer's disease, was also examined using animal disease models. The longevity phenotype conferred by triptolide was not observed in the eat-2 mutant, a well-known genetic model of dietary restriction, while there was an additional lifespan extension with triptolide in age-1 and clk-1 mutants. The long lifespan of age-1 mutant is resulted from a reduced insulin/IGF-1-like signaling and the clk-1 mutant lives longer than wild-type due to dysfunction of mitochondrial electron transport chain reaction. The effect of dietary restriction using bacterial dilution on lifespan also overlapped with that of triptolide. The toxicity of high glucose diet or transgenic human amyloid beta gene was significantly suppressed by the supplementation with triptolide. These findings suggest that triptolide can mimic the effect of dietary restriction on lifespan and onset of age-related diseases. We conclude that triptolide can be a strong candidate for the development of dietary restriction mimetics.