Abstract
In a context of rising demand for sustainable antiaging interventions, fruit processing by-products are a promising source of bioactive compounds for the production of antiaging dietary supplements. Piquiá (Caryocar villosum) is a native Amazonian fruit consisting of 65% nonedible shells. In the present study, the phytochemical profile of a hydroalcoholic extract of piquiá shells (CV) was characterized by LC-MS/MS analysis. Its antioxidant and antiaging activities were investigated using the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans as an in vivo model. CV is mainly composed by hydrolysable tannins and triterpenoid saponins. The extract enhanced stress resistance of wild-type and mutant worms by reducing the intracellular levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and by increasing their survival against a lethal dose of the prooxidant juglone. These effects involved the upregulation of sod-3 and downregulation of gst-4 and hsp-16.2, studied through the GFP fluorescent reporter intensity and at the transcriptional level by qRT-PCR analysis. CV extended the lifespan of wild-type worms in a DAF-16/FoxO- and SKN-1/Nrf-dependent manner. Taken together, our findings indicate piquiá shells as potential candidates for nutraceutical applications. Further studies are needed to validate the relevance of our findings to antiaging interventions in humans.
Highlights
Population aging is leading to an exponential increase in the incidence of age-related health conditions, reflecting extremely high costs for people’s welfare and health care systems [1, 2]
Our findings suggest that 200 μg/mL is the threshold antioxidant concentration from which CV ceases to induce the expression of sod-3
To clarify the role of DAF-16 and SKN-1 in the CVmediated lifespan extension, we investigated the effect of 200 μg/mL CV on the lifespan of mutant worms for both transcription factors
Summary
Population aging is leading to an exponential increase in the incidence of age-related health conditions, reflecting extremely high costs for people’s welfare and health care systems [1, 2] This social context has sparked a global demand for antiaging dietary supplements. Consumers have increasingly preferred sustainable plant-based supplements, shifting the attention of the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries towards processing of food waste products as an alternative and low-cost source of bioactive compounds with less environmental impact [3]. Within this frame, extracts and compounds isolated from fruit byproducts have shown promising potential [4, 5]. The supplementation of diet with antioxidants, especially those of plant origin, is considered a Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity key strategy for the prevention and symptomatic management of age-related health conditions, such as physical frailty, cancer, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disorders and neurodegenerative diseases [12,13,14,15,16]
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