OBJECTIVES This study aims to compare the differential gene expression resulting from tocotrienol-rich fraction and α-tocopherol supplementation in healthy older adults. METHODS A total of 71 eligible subjects aged 50 to 55 years from Gombak and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, were divided into three groups and supplemented with placebo (n=23), α-tocopherol (n=24) or tocotrienol-rich fraction (n=24). Blood samples were collected at baseline and at 3 and 6 months of supplementation for microarray analysis. RESULTS The number of genes altered by α-tocopherol was higher after 6 months (1,410) than after 3 months (273) of supplementation. α-Tocopherol altered the expression of more genes in males (952) than in females (731). Similarly, tocotrienol-rich fraction modulated the expression of more genes after 6 months (1,084) than after 3 months (596) and affected more genes in males (899) than in females (781). α-Tocopherol supplementation modulated pathways involving the response to stress and stimuli, the immune response, the response to hypoxia and bacteria, the metabolism of toxins and xenobiotics, mitosis, and synaptic transmission as well as activated the mitogen-activated protein kinase and complement pathways after 6 months. However, tocotrienol-rich fraction supplementation affected pathways such as the signal transduction, apoptosis, nuclear factor kappa B kinase, cascade extracellular signal-regulated kinase-1 and extracellular signal-regulated kinase-2, immune response, response to drug, cell adhesion, multicellular organismal development and G protein signaling pathways. CONCLUSION Supplementation with either α-tocopherol or tocotrienol-rich fraction affected the immune and drug response and the cell adhesion and signal transduction pathways but modulated other pathways differently after 6 months of supplementation, with sex-specific responses.
Age-related loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength or sarcopenia is attributed to the high level of oxidative stress and inadequate nutritional intake. The imbalance in oxidative status with increased production of free radicals results in damage to the DNA which leads to cell dysfunction. This study aimed to determine the effect of Zingiber officinale Roscoe (ginger) on muscle performance and bone integrity in Sprague Dawley (SD) rats. SD rats aged three (young), nine (adult), and twenty-one (old) months old were treated with either distilled water or ginger extract at a concentration of 200 mg/kg body weight (BW) daily for 3 months via oral gavage. Muscle performance was assessed at 0, 1, 2, and 3 months of treatment by measuring muscle strength, muscle function, and bone integrity while DNA damage was determined by comet assay. Muscle cell histology was analyzed by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining. Young and adult ginger-treated rats showed a significant improvement in muscle strength after 3 months of supplementation. Bone mineral density (BMD) and bone mineral content (BMC) were increased while fat free mass (FMM) was decreased after 3 months of ginger supplementation in young rats but not changed in adult and old ginger supplemented groups. Interestingly, supplementation of ginger for 3 months to the old rats decreased the level of damaged DNA. Histological findings showed reduction in the size of muscle fibre and fascicles with heterogenous morphology of the muscle fibres indicating sarcopenia was evident in old rats. Treatment with ginger extract improved the histological changes even though there was evidence of cellular infiltration (mild inflammation) and dilated blood vessels. In conclusion, Z. officinale Roscoe prevents DNA damage and improves muscle performance and bone integrity in SD rats indicating its potential in alleviating oxidative stress in ageing and thus delaying sarcopenia progression.
Ginger has been proven to possess various therapeutic effects, including antibacterial, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant effects. However, data on the comparison of ginger antioxidant activity with that of other natural products are still lacking. This study aimed to analyse and compare the antioxidant properties of two types of Malaysian ginger extracts (GE1 and GE2) with that of selected natural products. The antioxidant activities were measured by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl-hydrate (DPPH) and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays, while cell viability was determined by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfonyl)-2H-tetrazolium (MTS) assay. The order of the DPPH scavenging activities was as follows: vitamin C > palm tocotrienol-rich fraction (TRF) > á-tocopherol > N-acetylcysteine (NAC) > Ficus deltoidea > butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) > Centella asiatica > GE2 > GE1 > Moringa oleifera > Kelulut honey; the order of the mean FRAP value was as follows: NAC > á-tocopherol > BHT > TRF > Ficus deltoidea > Moringa oleifera > GE2 = GE1 > Centella asiatica > Kelulut honey. The viability assays showed that both ginger extracts significantly increased the percentage of viable cells (p < 0.05). In conclusion, neither of the ginger extracts was cytotoxic toward cells and both possessed comparable antioxidant properties, indicating their potential for ameliorating oxidative stress.
Introduction: Ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) can scavenge free radicals, which cause oxidative damage and inflamm-ageing. This study aimed to evaluate the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of soil ginger's sub-critical water extracts (SWE) on different ages of Sprague Dawley (SD) rats. The antioxidant properties and yield of SWE of soil- and soilless-grown ginger (soil ginger and soilless ginger will be used throughout the passage) were compared and evaluated.Methods: Three (young), nine (adult), and twenty-one (old) months old SD rats were subjected to oral gavage treatments with either distilled water or the SWE of soil ginger at a concentration of 200 mg/kg body weight (BW) for three months.Results: Soil ginger was found to yield 46% more extract than soilless ginger. While [6]-shogaol was more prevalent in soilless ginger, and [6]-gingerol concentration was higher in soil ginger (p < 0.05). Interestingly, soil ginger exhibited higher antioxidant activities than soilless ginger by using 2,2-diphenyl-1-(2,4,6-trinitrophenyl) hydrazyl (DPPH) and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay. With ginger treatment, a reduced levels of tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and C-reactive protein (CRP) but not interleukin-6 (IL-6) were observed in young rats. In all ages of SD rats, ginger treatment boosted catalase activity while lowering malondialdehyde (MDA). Reduction of urine 15-isoprostane F2t in young rats, creatine kinase-MM (CK-MM) in adult and old rats and lipid peroxidation (LPO) in young and adult rats were also observed.Discussion: The findings confirmed that the SWE of both soil and soilless grown ginger possessed antioxidant activities. Soil ginger produced a higher yield of extracts with a more prominent antioxidant activity. The SWE of soil ginger treatment on the different ages of SD rats ameliorates oxidative stress and inflammation responses. This could serve as the basis for developing a nutraceutical that can be used as a therapeutic intervention for ageing-related diseases.
Aging is a complex process characterized by progressive loss of functional abilities due to the accumulation of molecular damages. Metabolomics could offer novel insights into the predictors and mechanisms of aging. This cross-sectional study is aimed at identifying age-associated plasma metabolome in a Malay population. A total of 146 (90 females) healthy participants aged 28–69 were selected for the study. Untargeted metabolomics profiling was performed using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Association analysis was based on the general linear model. Gender-associated metabolites were adjusted for age, while age-associated metabolites were adjusted for gender or analyzed in a gender-stratified manner. Gender-associated metabolites such as 4-hydroxyphenyllactic acid, carnitine, cortisol, and testosterone sulfate showed higher levels in males than females. Deoxycholic acid and hippuric acid were among the metabolites with a positive association with age after being adjusted for gender, while 9(E),11(E)-conjugated linoleic acid, cortisol, and nicotinamide were negatively associated with age. In gender-stratified analysis, glutamine was one of the common metabolites that showed a direct association with age in both genders, while metabolites such as 11-deoxy prostaglandin F2β, guanosine monophosphate, and testosterone sulfate were inversely associated with age in males and females. This study reveals several age-associated metabolites in Malays that could reflect the changes in metabolisms during aging and may be used to discern the risk of geriatric syndromes and disorders later. Further studies are required to determine the interplay between these metabolites and environmental factors on the functional outcomes during aging.
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