Lutein shows a protective effect against the aging of mesenchymal stem cells by downregulating inflammation

Abstract

Currently, many countries in the world are entering an aging society. The health of the elderly is the most prominent problem in an aging society. Stem cell exhaustion and aging are some of the most important factors leading to body aging. Therefore, reversing or alleviating stem cell aging is an urgent scientific problem to be solved. Researchers have been looking into biological antiaging molecules, and green and healthy bioactive molecules have great application value and potential. Lutein is a carotene that has a wide range of natural sources. Lutein has been found to have many important biological activities. However, to date, the potential antiaging effect of lutein has not been revealed in stem cell models. In the current study, we used mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) as a model (in vitro) to evaluate the antiaging potential of lutein. A series of experiments (such as Western blotting and indirect immunofluorescence) were performed to evaluate the antiaging effects of lutein in vivo and in vitro. The results showed that lutein has a good antiaging effect by evaluating Sa-β-gal and aging-related markers (such as p16 and p21). Additionally, we further carried out relevant experiments in vivo to evaluate the antiaging effect of lutein and found that lutein could also exhibit an antiaging effect in many tissues and organs in vivo. In conclusion, this work found that lutein could relieve aging in vivo and in vitro, suggesting that lutein is a potential antiaging functional food or drug.