An extract of Rosaceae, Solanaceae and Zingiberaceae increases health span and mobility in Caenorhabditis elegans.

BACKGROUND: Members of the Rosaceae, Solanaceae and Zingiberaceae families which include fruits such as cherries, tomatoes and ginger are known to have health promoting effects. There is growing interest in consuming these "functional foods" as a means to increase health and healthy ageing. However, many studies explore the effect of these foods in isolation, not as a blend of multiple functional foods. METHODS: In this study, an extract containing the dried berries, fruits, and roots of members of these families was prepared, which we called Bioact®180. The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans was used to evaluate the effects of Bioact®180 on lifespan and health endpoints, including muscle and mitochondria structure and locomotion. RESULTS: Exposure to the 1000 µg/mL of Bioact®180 extract, containing 4% total phenols, were healthier, as observed by an increase in mean lifespan with and small but significant increase in maximal lifespan. Nematodes exposed to Bioact®180 displayed better mobility in mid-life stages as well as enhanced mitochondrial morphology, which was more comparable to younger animals, suggesting that these worms are protected to some degree from sarcopenia. CONCLUSIONS: Together, our findings reveal that Bioact®180, a blend of fruits and roots from Rosaceae, Solanaceae and Zingiberaceae family members has anti-aging effects. Bioact®180 promotes health and lifespan extension in C. elegans, corresponding to functional improvements in mobility.

Antagonist effect of pseudohypericin at CRF1 receptors.

St. John's wort (Hypericum perforatum L.) is widely used for the treatment of mild to moderately severe depression. However, the nature of its active principles and the exact mode of antidepressant action are still unknown. It has been suggested repeatedly in preclinical and clinical studies that the content of the acylphloroglucinol hyperforin decisively contributes to the antidepressant efficacy of St. John's wort extracts. Experimental studies in vivo also indicate that the naphthodianthrone hypericin may reduce the activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. Exacerbated hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal activity has often been associated with depressive states in patients. Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) seems to be a major determinant in the regulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal activity via activation of CRF(1) receptors. In the present study, we investigated the CRF(1) receptor antagonist activity of three main constituents of St. John's wort (hypericin, pseudohypericin and hyperforin) by measuring their effect on CRF-stimulated cAMP formation in recombinant Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. As a selectivity test, the compounds were also tested against calcitonin in the same cells. Of the three compounds tested, only pseudohypericin selectively antagonised CRF (K(B) 0.76 microM). Hypericin and hyperforin affected both CRF and calcitonin with similar potencies and the same type of behaviour (competitive antagonism for hypericin, noncompetitive for hyperforin). It is concluded that pseudohypericin is the only real CRF(1) receptor antagonist of the three constituents tested. In addition, evidence is provided that beside hyperforin, both pseudohypericin and hypericin are implicated in the antidepressant efficacy of St. John's wort.