Nutrition and Healthy Aging

Physical activity and a healthy diet may delay the aging process and ultra-endurance exercise is an extreme form of physical activity. Telomeres are protective DNA sequences located at the ends of eukaryotic chromosomes which shorten as we age.

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationships of lifetime physical activity and diet with salivary cell telomere length in current ultra-endurance exercisers (n = 49; % female = 37, age range 26–74 years).

Physical activity and dietary intake were measured using the Lifetime Physical Activity and Diet Questionnaire (LPADQ) and salivary cell telomere length was measured using quantitative polymerase chain reaction.

In this group of current ultra-endurance exercisers there was no relationship between lifetime physical activity or diet (according to food category scores) and telomere length. In contrast to the expected age-related decrease in telomere length, there was no relationship between age and telomere length (95% confidence interval [CI]: –38.86, 14.54, p = 0.359) in this group of current ultra-endurance exercisers.

The relationships of lifetime physical activity and diet with telomere length remain uncertain. It is possible that lifetime physical activity (including ultra-endurance exercise) and lifetime diet may independently, or in combination, contribute to a decrease in the rate of age-related telomere shortening in current ultra-endurance exercisers.

The newly described proteins adropin and irisin are a highly conserved polypeptide that plays essential roles in metabolic and energy homeostasis, insulin resistance, and fat browning. The aim of this study is to evaluate the circulating levels of serum adropin and irisin in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients and also to elucidate possible relationships between serum adropin and irisin levels with anthropometric obesity indices and biochemical parameters.

Single-center prospective observational study included 90 T2DM patients referred to the diabetes outpatient clinic. Height, weight, and waist circumference (WC) were measured. Body mass index (BMI) and waist to height ratio (WHtR) were calculated. Fasting blood glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin, serum lipids, creatinine, urea, and blood urea nitrogen were evaluated. Estimated glomerular filtration rate (GFR) was calculated, serum adropin and irisin were evaluated.

The results showed a significant positive correlation between adropin and irisin in females but not in males (r = 0.311; P = 0.042). In males’ group, serum adropin levels showed significant negative correlation with serum glucose (–0.423, P = < 0.05), HbA1C (–0.364, P = < 0.05), and GFR (–0.355, P = < 0.05). In contrast, creatinine was showed a significant positive correlation with adropin in males (0.381, P = < 0.05). In females’ group, adropin showed a significant negative correlation with weight (–0.371, P = < 0.05), BMI (–0.349, P = < 0.05), WC (–0.402, P = < 0.01), and WHtR (–0.398, P = < 0.01). Contrary, in males’ group, serum irisin levels showed significant positive correlation with weight (0.338, P = < 0.05), BMI (0.332, P = < 0.05), WC (0.409, P = < 0.01), and WHtR (0.432, P = < 0.01).

This study demonstrated that, in T2DM patients, circulating serum adrpoin correlated negatively with anthropometric obesity indices of obesity in females, while serum irisin was positively correlated with anthropometric obesity indices of obesity in males.

Nutritional status is a modifiable risk factor that could support healthy ageing outcome among elderly population.

To investigate association of nutritional status indicated by Mini Nutritional Assessment short form (MNA-SF) score with domains of functional ability, cognitive state, depression, and social engagement status.

A cross-sectional study was conducted among 133 elderly aged > 60 years in five community health center across Jakarta province. MNA-SF was used to indicate nutritional status score. Functional ability measured based on activity daily living (ADL) score. Cognitive function measured based on Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) score. Geriatric Depression Scale short form (GDS-15) was used to measure depression and social engagement status measured based on social engagement index questionnaire. Association of study variables analyzed using linear regression test by considering possible confounders including age, sex, education, income, smoking status, and disease history.

MNA-SF score reported to have positive correlation with domains of cognitive function (r = 0.25 p = 0.00) and social engagement status (r = 0.30 p = 0.00), but inverse correlation was found with depression symptoms (r = 0.24, p = 0.00). The association was remained significant in the multivariate analyses (cognitive function adjusted β= 0.18, p = 0.01; depression adjusted β= –0.38, p = 0.00; social engagement adjusted β= 0.23, p = 0.00). MNA-SF was not associated with functional ability domain in this study.

Higher level of nutrition status was associated with better cognition, lower depression symptoms, and better social engagement of the healthy ageing domains, but it was not associated with functional ability domain among elderly.

Streblus asper Lour., has been reported to have anti-aging and neuroprotective efficacies in vitro.

To analyze the anti-aging, anti-photoaging and neuroprotective efficacies of S. asper in Caenorhabditis elegans.

C. elegans (wild type and gene specific mutants) were treated with S. asper extract and analyzed for lifespan and other health benefits through physiological assays, fluorescence microscopy, qPCR and Western blot.

The plant extract was found to increase the lifespan, reduce the accumulation of lipofuscin and modulate the expression of candidate genes. It could extend the lifespan of both daf-16 and daf-2 mutants whereas the pmk-1 mutant showed no effect. The activation of skn-1 was observed in skn-1::GFP transgenic strain and in qPCR expression. Further, the extract can extend the lifespan of UV-A exposed nematodes along with reducing ROS levels. Additionally, the extract also extends lifespan and reduces paralysis in Aβ transgenic strain, apart from reducing Aβ expression.

S. asper was able to extend the lifespan and healthspan of C. elegans which was independent of DAF-16 pathway but dependent on SKN-1 and MAPK which could play a vital role in eliciting the anti-aging, anti-photoaging and neuroprotective effects, as the extract could impart oxidative stress resistance and neuroprotection.

Glutamate toxicity is involved in several neurodegenerative conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease.

The study aims to investigate the neuroprotective efficacy of ethanol extract of Hibiscus sabdariffa calyces (HS) against glutamate-induced toxicity in HT-22 cells and anti-aging property in Caenorhabditis elegans.

HT-22 cells were pre-treated with HS followed by glutamate and evaluated for the neuroprotective effect using cell viability assay, confocal microscopic analysis, qPCR, Western blot, and docking analysis. Induction of anti-aging property in C. elegans with HS extract was analyzed through physiological assays and qPCR analysis.

GC-MS analysis of the HS extract showed the presence of 19 compounds with antioxidant properties including oleamide, 2-(diethoxymethyl)furan and 5-methylfurfural. In vitro studies reveal that glutamate exerted toxicity in HT-22 cells by inducing oxidative stress, depleting glutathione, downregulating glutamate transporters, antioxidant genes, inducing autophagy (Beclin-1, Atg-5, Atg-7, LC3-II) by the activation of MAPK (p38, JNK) pathway, and causing apoptosis. However, pre-treatment with HS extract (5, 10μg/ml) reversed the effect and offered neuroprotection. In silico studies showed that the compounds of HS extract can bind effectively and inhibit the activity of NMDAR, calpain-1 and GSK-3β. In C. elegans, HS extended lifespan, reduced the accumulation of lipofuscin, modulated healthspan-related genes and downregulated the expression of daf-2.

Our results indicate that HS with its bioactive components exhibits neuroprotective activity by upregulating glutamate transporters, inhibiting autophagy and exerts anti-aging property through DAF-16 dependent mechanism.