Studies on the Regulation and Molecular Mechanism of Panax Ginseng Saponins on Senescence and Related Behaviors of Drosophila melanogaster

Abstract

In an increasingly aged global population, achieving healthy life expectancy through natural and safe drug interventions is highly desirable. Here we show that total ginsenosides (TGGR), the main active components in the traditional Chinese medicine, ginseng, promote longevity across species. In Drosophila, an intriguing effect of TGGR on lifespan was the relatively narrow treatment window to elicit long-term benefits. TGGR administration during early adulthood, and especially during midlife, was sufficient to extend lifespan in both sexes. TGGR did not increase lifespan by reducing food intake or reproductive capacity; rather, TGGR increased the fertility of male Drosophila. TGGR augmented healthspan readouts associated with youth and with healthy aging, such as motility, intestinal barrier integrity, and biorhythm homeostasis. TGGR treatment also improved some types of stress resistance in both sexes, including increased tolerance to starvation and oxidation, and shifting “aged” gene expression patterns toward “healthy” patterns seen in the young. Gene expression, pharmacological and genetic epistatic analyses demonstrated that TGGR effects require normal expression of genes involved in insulin, TOR and MAPK signaling. The positive effects of TGGR on both healthspan and lifespan, coupled with its mechanism of action via evolutionarily conserved signaling pathways, demonstrate it to be a promising anti-aging drug.

Puerarin extends the lifespan of Drosophila melanogaster by activating autophagy

“…32 Our data showed that 120 μM puerarin supplementation significantly upregulated the ATP content in all flies, implying that puerarin promotes longevity by enhancing ATP production. Moreover, stress tolerance is beneficial for advancing the longevity of Drosophila 33 by modulating the expressions of DMP53, CAT, SOD1, HSP70, and Methuselah. 2,34,35 We found that puerarin supplementation increased the survival time of flies from starvation and oxidation by enhancing the levels of DMP53, CAT, and SOD1, implying that puerarin extends the lifespan of Drosophila by improving resistance to stress.…”

Ginsenoside Rb1 improves intestinal aging via regulating the expression of sirtuins in the intestinal epithelium and modulating the gut microbiota of mice

“…Recent study showed that the doxorubicin-induced early cancer therapeutics-related cardiac dysfunction and early decline in left ventricular ejection fraction in breast cancer patients can be protected through prophylactic Panax ginseng supplementation ( Hamidian et al, 2022 ). The lifespan of Drosophila is extended with the treatment of total ginsenosides (TGGR), the main active components in Panax ginseng ( Zhao et al, 2022b ). Many types of ginsenosides have been demonstrated to have neuroprotective effects ( Zhao et al, 2022a ).…”