Project description:HUVEC respond to pro-inflammatory stimuli such as IL-1 by expressing several hundreds of genes including cytokines, chemokines, cell adhesion molecules, and those involved in coagulation, survival/apoptosis, and metabolism. Extract of P. santalinus inhibited the expression of certain genes, while leaving other unaffected; therby a set of responsive and non-responsive genes could be defined, to be further analyzed by bioinformatics.
Project description:As the molecular mechanisms of biological aging become better understood, there is growing interest in identifying interventions that target those mechanisms to promote extended health and longevity. The budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae has served as a premier model organism for identifying genetic and molecular factors that modulate cellular aging and is a powerful system in which to evaluate candidate longevity interventions. Here we screened a collection of natural products and natural product mixtures for effects on the growth rate, mTOR-mediated growth inhibition, and replicative lifespan. No mTOR inhibitory activity was detected, but several of the treatments affected growth rate and lifespan. The strongest lifespan shortening effects were observed for green tea extract and berberine. The most robust lifespan extension was detected from an extract of Pterocarpus marsupium and another mixture containing Pterocarpus marsupium extract. These findings illustrate the utility of the yeast system for longevity intervention discovery and identify Pterocarpus marsupium extract as a potentially fruitful longevity intervention for testing in higher eukaryotes.