Jiali Zhang,Lu Zhang,Zhengzhang Wu,Peng Zhang,Ruijie Liu,Ming Chang,Xingguo Wang
Phytosterols are important bioactive compounds in rice bran and rice bran oil, and the compositions of different phytosterols in rice bran and rice bran oil were investigated in our previous research. In this study, the dopaminergic neuroprotective effects and the underlying mechanisms of sitosterol, cycloartenyl ferulate, 24-methylenecycloartanyl ferulate and campesteryl ferulate identified in rice bran and rice bran oil were investigated in a rotenone-treated C. elegans model. The results indicated that the increased oxidative stress resistance induced by the activation of the DAF-16/FOXO pathway and the inhibition of the apoptotic protein CED-3 overexpression might play an important role in protecting the dopaminergic neurons. The results of this research reveal a new bioactivity of different phytosterols and are helpful for the further nutritional evaluation of rice bran and rice bran oil.
Wang Jiahui,Li Shuqi,Lei Zichen,Xing Yantao,Li Jieshu,Guo Jie,Duan Boshi,Liu Yonggang
Aging not only significantly reduces the quality of life for the elderly but also poses multifaceted challenges to society. Its progression involves the synergistic interaction of multidimensional, multipathway molecular mechanisms, including mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress accumulation, chronic inflammation, and genomic damage. Quercetagetin (QG), as a natural flavanol monomer, exhibits significant potential in anti-aging due to its simultaneous targeting of key aging pathways such as oxidative stress and chronic inflammation. We first evaluated QG’s safety profile, finding that 0.02 mg/ml QG did not adversely affect motility, feeding, growth, and reproductive capacity in Caenorhabditis elegans ( C. elegans ). At this concentration, in vivo experiments using wild-type C. elegans confirmed QG’s ability to extend lifespan and enhance oxidative stress resistance. The antioxidant and anti-aging effects of QG were further validated using the daf -16 mutant C. elegans DR26. Subsequently, observation of QG’s impact on C. elegans mitochondrial morphology revealed significant reductions in area/perimeter and mitochondria coverage ratio following treatment. This indicates that QG treatment shifts the mitochondrial network from fusion toward fission and reduces overall mitochondrial content. QG can also improve age-related dopaminergic, 5-hydroxytryptaminergic and cholinergic neuron degeneration. Mass spectrometry metabolome analysis revealed that QG significantly affected citrate cycle and glycerophospholipid metabolism. Collectively, QG extends C. elegans lifespan by regulating redox homeostasis, DAF-16/FOXO pathways, mitochondrial homeostasis and metabolic reprogramming. This multi-target regulatory capacity positions QG as an ideal candidate molecule for anti-aging drug development.
Ethyl Carbamate (EC), as a carcinogen widely found in fermented foods, was verified that its cytotoxicity was associated with oxidative stress. Polysaccharides from natural sources due to their antioxidative capacity have attracted great attention in the past time. In this study, purified polysaccharide from Tetrastigma hemsleyanum vines (TVP) with 64.89 kDA was extracted and conducted multiple analysis to identify its structural information. It could be discovered that TVP was composed of mannose, rhamnose, glucuronic acid, glucose, galactose, and arabinose. In vitro , TVP could inhibit cytotoxicity and genotoxicity, attenuate oxidative damage and mitochondrial dysfunction induced by EC in Caco-2 cells. Meanwhile, TVP could suppress apoptosis by mTOR and Bcl-2 signaling pathways, ameliorate oxidative via Sirt1-FoxO1 and Nrf2-Keap1 signaling pathways. In vivo , EC as well triggered the decline of survival and athletic ability in Caenorhabditis elegans ( C. elegans ) and TVP could reverse the decline. In the meantime, TVP could ameliorate oxidative damage in N2 and daf-2 (-) mutant but fail in daf-16 (-) mutant, which suggested that DAF-16 (FOXO) might affect the antioxidative protection of TVP in C. elegans . In brief, our results manifested that TVP could attenuate EC-induced cytotoxicity both in vitro and in vivo .