Resveratrol and health – A comprehensive review of human clinical trials

Abstract

In the past decade, the small polyphenol resveratrol has received widespread attention as either a potential therapy or as a preventive agent for numerous diseases. Studies using purified enzymes, cultured cells, and laboratory animals have suggested that resveratrol has anti-aging, anti-carcinogenic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-oxidant properties that might be relevant to chronic diseases and/or longevity in humans. Although the supporting research in laboratory models is quite substantial, only recently data has emerged to describe the effects of resveratrol supplementation on physiological responses in humans. The limited number of human clinical trials that are available has largely described various aspects of resveratrol's safety and bioavailability, reaching a consensus that it is generally well-tolerated, but have poor bioavailability. Very few published human studies have explored the ability of resveratrol to achieve the physiological benefits that have been observed in laboratory models, although many clinical trials have recently been initiated. This review aims to examine the current state of knowledge on the effects of resveratrol on humans and to utilize this information to develop further guidelines for the implementation of human clinical trials.

“Preconditioning” with latrepirdine, an adenosine 5′-monophosphate-activated protein kinase activator, delays amyotrophic lateral sclerosis progression in SOD1G93A mice

“…In vivo treatment with Resveratrol (160 mg/kg) from a pre-symptomatic timepoint (8 weeks old) significantly improved upper and lower motor neuron survival and increased life span in SOD1 G93A mice (Mancuso et al 2014). However, Resveratrol has a very limited safety profile available and has not been used in many clinical trials to date (Patel et al 2011, Smoliga et al 2011. Interestingly, Riluzole, the only FDA approved drug for the treatment of ALS, has recently been suggested to be an AMPK activator in the motor neuron-like cell line, NSC-34 cells and L6 myotubes (Daniel et al 2013), but further in vivo studies are warranted to explore the role of AMPK activation and its potential neuroprotective activities.…”

N-Monosubstituted Methoxy-oligo(ethylene glycol) Carbamate Ester Prodrugs of Resveratrol

“…Possibly its most widely discussed activities are as an activator of the deacetylase SIRT1 and a repressor of inflammation, to which one might add its estrogen-like features (e.g., [31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38]). Pronounced metabolism may be an important reason why resveratrol's effects are often unclear in human clinical studies [39][40][41][42][43][44]-a weakness shared with other polyphenols. A tool to increase resveratrol's bioavailability and body levels may help dispel (or support) doubts, and, more importantly, allow the development of a full pharmacology of this compound.…”

Comparative Polyphenolic Content of Grape Pomace Flours from ‘Fetească neagră’ and ‘Italian Riesling’ Cultivars

“…They aroused a huge interest in scientists after being identified in wine and linked to the "French paradox" and are mainly present in grape skin, but also in seeds, clusters, and stems (Katalinić et al, 2010). Thus, a big number of reviews confirming resveratrol's biological activities are present in the literature (Athar et al, 2007;Baxter, 2008;Smoliga et al, 2011;Pangeni et al, 2014). Due to their biological and organoleptic characteristics, anthocyanins and stilbenes play a key role in wine quality, and grape extracts are used as sources of natural compounds in the pharmaceutical, food and nutraceutical industries (Flamini et al, 2013).…”