Abstract
The relationships between diet and metabolites as well as element profiles in healthy centenarians are important but remain inconclusive. Therefore, to test the interesting hypothesis that there would be distinctive features of metabolites and element profiles in healthy centenarians, and that these would be associated with nutrient intake; the short chain fatty acids (SCFAs), total bile acids and ammonia in feces, phenol, p-cresol, uric acid, urea, creatinine and ammonia in urine, and element profiles in fingernails were determined in 90 healthy elderly people, including centenarians from Bama county (China)—a famous longevous region—and elderly people aged 80–99 from the longevous region and a non-longevous region. The partial least squares-discriminant analysis was used for pattern recognition. As a result, the centenarians showed a distinct metabolic pattern. Seven characteristic components closely related to the centenarians were identified, including acetic acid, total SCFA, Mn, Co, propionic acid, butyric acid and valeric acid. Their concentrations were significantly higher in the centenarians group (p < 0.05). Additionally, the dietary fiber intake was positively associated with butyric acid contents in feces (r = 0.896, p < 0.01), and negatively associated with phenol in urine (r = −0.326, p < 0.01). The results suggest that the specific metabolic pattern of centenarians may have an important and positive influence on the formation of the longevity phenomenon. Elevated dietary fiber intake should be a path toward health and longevity.
Highlights
Health and longevity are the eternal pursuit of human beings
Based on the above mentioned indexes, the results showed that the contents of short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and total bile acids in feces were significantly higher in the LRC group, indicating that the increase of fecal SCFAs and total bile acids has a positive impact on the health and longevity of the centenarians from the longevous region (LR)
We captured the characteristics of metabolites in feces and urine and element profiles in the fingernails of healthy centenarians from the LR using pattern recognition analysis combined with a univariate statistical test
Summary
Health and longevity are the eternal pursuit of human beings. Diet is an important factor affecting health and longevity [1,2]. Appropriate dietary alterations, such as dietary restriction, can promote health and increase the life span of laboratory model organisms [3], but malnutrition, nutritional excess or imbalance accelerates the aging process and causes a variety of geriatric diseases in humans [4]. Dietary compositions influence the metabolism of an individual and contribute to a variation in metabolites. Metabolite levels are important indicators of human health and longevity. Many diseases and inflammations are associated with metabolic imbalances [5]. Certain essential elements, such as Mn, Se and
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