These six plant extracts could delay aging
September 16, 2016
Several nutrient- and energy-sensing signaling pathways and protein kinases converge into a network that defines the rate of yeast chronological aging (credit: Vicky Lutchman et al./Oncotarget)
Six previously identified plant extracts can delay aging by affecting different signaling pathways that set the pace of growing old, researchers from Concordia University and Idunn Technologies have found, in a study recently published (open-access) in Oncotarget.
Using yeast — a favored cellular aging model — Vladimir Titorenko, a biology professor and the study’s senior author, and his colleagues conducted a screen of a library of 35 different plant extracts (PEs) to determine those that can extend yeast chronological lifespan. To do that, they monitored how the information flowing through signaling pathways was affected. They identified six aging-delaying plant extracts: Cimicifuga racemosa, Valeriana officinalis L., Passiflora incarnata L., Ginkgo biloba, Apium graveolens L., and “particularly effective”: Salix alba, commonly known as white willow bark.
Diagram of yeast cell (credit: Frankie Robertson/CC)
Anti-aging pathways
At a cellular level, aging progresses similarly in yeast and humans. In both, the pace of aging is defined by a distinct set of chemical reactions arranged into several “signaling pathways” that regulate the rate of aging in a wide range of organisms.
“It’s known that some of these signaling pathways delay aging if activated in response to certain nutrients or hormones,” Titorenko says. “These pathways are called ‘anti-aging’ or ‘pro-longevity’ pathways. Other signaling pathways speed up aging if activated in response to certain other nutrients or hormones. These pathways are called ’pro-aging’ or ‘pro-death’ pathways.” Each of the six aging-delaying plant extracts targets a different anti-aging or pro-aging signaling pathway.
The study revealed several features of the six plant extracts as potential tools in decelerating chronic symptoms and diseases of old age:
- They imitate the aging-delaying effects of the caloric restriction diet in yeast
- They slow yeast aging by eliciting a mild stress response
- They extend yeast longevity more efficiently than any lifespan-prolonging chemical compound yet described
- They delay aging through signaling pathways implicated in age-related diseases
- One of them delays aging via a previously unknown pathway
- They extend longevity and delay the onset of age-related diseases in organisms other than yeast
Health Canada classifies the six plant extracts as safe for human consumption, and recommends five of them as health-improving supplements with clinically proven benefits.
The study was supported by grants from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and the Fonds québécois de la recherche sur la nature et les technologies.
UPDATE Sept. 19, 2016: the six aging-delaying plant extracts’ names added.
Abstract of Six plant extracts delay yeast chronological aging through different signaling pathways
Our recent study has revealed six plant extracts that slow yeast chronological aging more efficiently than any chemical compound yet described. The rate of aging in yeast is controlled by an evolutionarily conserved network of integrated signaling pathways and protein kinases. Here, we assessed how single-gene-deletion mutations eliminating each of these pathways and kinases affect the aging-delaying efficiencies of the six plant extracts. Our findings imply that these extracts slow aging in the following ways: 1) plant extract 4 decreases the efficiency with which the pro-aging TORC1 pathway inhibits the anti-aging SNF1 pathway; 2) plant extract 5 mitigates two different branches of the pro-aging PKA pathway; 3) plant extract 6 coordinates processes that are not assimilated into the network of presently known signaling pathways/protein kinases; 4) plant extract 8 diminishes the inhibitory action of PKA on SNF1; 5) plant extract 12 intensifies the anti-aging protein kinase Rim15; and 6) plant extract 21 inhibits a form of the pro-aging protein kinase Sch9 that is activated by the pro-aging PKH1/2 pathway.
Comments (36)
by donjoe
White willow bark extract? Well that sounds familiar. How is that different from aspirin?
Also, as regards dosage, all I’m seeing are the concentrations used in the study. But that was applied to yeast cells. What about the human-equivalent dose?
by Nikos359
Hi Guys, I have question regarding the take-away :
If I want to take action, I suppose that consuming regularly white willow bark as a hot beverage is the most effective way, as it is stated that out of the six, this one is particularly effective. Unless I buy them all… which I’m not considering right now…
My question is : is there any indication in the scientific paper as to how much I need to consume for it to become effective ? because if you need to consume 1000+ white willow bark beverages per day for it to become effective, that makes it impossible…
by Eloise23
The Salix alba (white willow bark) can be found as a tincture online, or even in supplement stores. As to the dosage, I couldn’t say – the standard dosage is 1-5 drops/day, but that varies wildly with the context. The bottles usually have a recommended dose, which in most cases is woefully inadequate, so use that as a starting point. You might discover some effects if you keep notes for the first month or two.
Passionflower is a common herbal tea ingredient – it has a strong fruity taste. Celery seed can be used in cooking, or in herbal teas. It tastes strongly of celery, unsurprisingly. I think white willow bark shows up in some herbal teas as well, but the quality would be suspect, in my opinion.
The teas are water extracts, and the study used alcohol extracts. This does make a difference.
The problem with this is that we have no biological markers to indicate if it’s working. This problem is mentioned by Kurzweil also – piles of supplements, 1/2 to 2/3 of them work, but which ones??
There is the American Herbalists Guild – they’ve been working with the herbs for a long time, and may have a list of expert herbalists to consult on doses, if that’s something you wish to do.
by smb12321
The real problem (as a cook) is the faddish nature of the article confirmed by all the comments asking for amounts, sources, etc. Not mentioned are foods or extracts that encourage aging. Of the hundreds of things we eat, surely some encourage the very signaling pathways these depress.
We do not know (and may not know for some time) what regimen can reduce the effects of aging since we are not lab rats and have freedom of choice as to foods.
by GGTrust
All processed sugars. All cooked vegetables and grains are processed sugars. The truth is that 70-90% of all we should eat is saturated fat, and very little of everything else. That is the hard scientific fact that few dare talk about.
by Editor
Names of the six aging-delaying plant extracts added.
by realtking9
Thank you. Very informative and inspiring. I’m ready to buy the RNA drops.
by jim1848
0.5% (w/v) PE4 from Cimicifuga racemosa, 0.5% (w/v) PE5 from Valeriana officinalis L., 1.0% (w/v) PE6 from Passiflora incarnata L., 0.3% (w/v) PE8 from Ginkgo biloba, 0.1% (w/v) PE12 from Apium graveolens L. and 0.1% (w/v) PE21 from Salix alba were used
by Snazster
Really wierd this isn’t better known yet. I found this article last March and started taking each of them daily at the time. Seemed harmless and cheap enough even if it’s wrong.
http://www.impactjournals.com/oncotarget/index.php?journal=oncotarget&page=article&op=view&path%5B%5D=7665&path%5B%5D=22203
PE4
Cimicifuga racemosa
Root and rhizome
Black cohosh
PE5
Valeriana officinalis L.
Root
Valerian root
PE6
Passiflora incarnate L.
Whole plant
Passionflower
PE8
Ginkgo biloba
Leaf
Ginkgo biloba
PE12
Apium graveolens L.
Seed
Celery seed
PE21
Salix alba
Bark
Willow bark
by Eloise23
Thank you, Snazster.
by barsell
From the original article the 6 are black cohosh, valerian, celery, white willow bark, and ginkgo
by GGTrust
For those of you seeking real NOW anti-ageing even age reversal, got to http://www.rnareset.com The owner is 90+ years old and literally has the energy of a two year old extremely healthy child and then some.
by Terryinasia
This is not an anti-aging product and it most definitely does not reverse the aging process or come remotely close to anything like that. The list of vitamins seem to be conspicuously devoid of any information as to the actual makeup which more than likely means there pharmaceutical in vitro synthetic representations, a very damaging product. The 90-plus year old owner may or may not have energy of a 2 year old, I don’t know if I really want the energy of a 2 year old, however it has nothing to do with him taking this magnesium product I assure you…
by GGTrust
Ignorance is bliss. Who said anything about magnesium or of any vitamin. I did not say which product. You want to know, do some real reading. It is there for those who really want to know.
by Terryinasia
I clicked on the link that you provided and read the material there. Their first product is a protein powder, which lists a number of vitamins including a and C, they do not list the type of vitamin or its complex which is a red flag for me when determining the quality of a supplement.
I looked at a fourth product on the list and it was listed as “Miracle magnesium” LOL
I spend an inordinate amount of time having to field questions for patients with regards to the latest and greatest anti-aging supplement. One of the quickest ways to vent the product is to look at the actual ingredients, which is what I did, and determine whether or not they’re actually the real substance or something more harmful like a synthetic, in vitro produced product. This miracle cure is suspiciously absent any details that you would normally see even in the cheaper brands.
I log on to this site because I enjoy the articles that are written and a lot of the responses, however once someone takes the position that they have a cure for aging and even reversing the aging process I do have to take that comment to task
by GGTrust
The product is RNA DROPS. https://www.rnareset.com/collections/frontpage/products/rna-drops-natures-perfect-nutrient?variant=13898308807 It is a cell called iCell or a group of cell harvested from barley and possibly other grains. They have a patent on it, but the patent does not explain it all… In my research what I have found is that there seems to be types of cell that somehow extract and transform a type of energy (not yet documented by science) to an energy/food/? that human cells feed from. They make a very specific claim that it repairs (do not remember exactly) or activates chromosome 14, if my memory serves me well. What I can tell you is that Bob N. the owner of the company went on the radio nonstop for approximately 150 hours, I listen on and off to about 50 of the hours, no question in my mind that Bob has the energy to go nonstop without sleeping at all for 150 hours or more at age 90+. I can also tell you that I have taken the RNA Drops and there is something extremely amazing about them. At first I even thought that it had to be a feel good drug, but that is not the case. One feels so amazing cause those drops are repairing the body in some way and you simply start feeling awesome, energy and physical strength like never before. Do note: That they recommend to start with only 1 drop per day, and increase one drop per week, to a maximum of 30 drops a day. But since I spent hundreds of hours listening to Bob, in one of his many talks he slipped and said he did 150 drops a day, so I did the same. Not something I would recommend anyone do if not well educated on the subject, it has consequences… you seriously run out of magnesium and other minerals which lead to some serious heart problems, therefore you have to guess what? take all their other products in larger dosages than the recommended, and they do not tell you this nor will they probably ever will, due to the possible legal liabilities. I can tell you that at 150 drops you feel like superman. Problem is that to maintain these dosages you have to spend about a $1000 / month on not only $500 worth of drops but on all the other minerals and foods to be able to sustain such high dosages; you have to eat 2-4X more quality food too. As you know, due to lawsuit/FDA/etc. supplement providers such as this one are not going to tell you the whole story publicly. I can assure you there is a whole lot more to these cells that they are willing to tell. Bob does tell a lot, but it takes huge patience and hundreds if not thousands of hours listening to his talks to get the info.
by Terryinasia
As I said in my first post to you I clicked the link that YOU provided… I reviewed the first product that was brought up on your recommended link and it was a protein powder. I can tell you as a clinical nutritionist that protein powders are a product that should be avoided. The proteins that are assembled or isolated coming from most protein powders are very complicated difficult proteins to break down. Our livers spend tremendous amounts of time trying to separate the amino acids causing significant stress. It is not uncommon to see 3 to 400 percent increases in liver stress values even above the highest acceptable norms…
I will repeat myself one more time, when looking at the viability of the product one of the simplest method is to Simply check their quality of vitamins, this product is different in that it doesn’t even list whether the vitamin is a synthetic or a whole complex that for me is a significant red flag. I also looked at a second product from the link that you originally provided and it too was questionable, it does not list the type of magnesium or any other information that would provide the reader the information required to determine the quality. It only stated it was a “miracle cure” which did not induce a lot of confidence.
I now see from your posts that you have spent a lot of time researching this product, I think that is ultimately the best course of action for anyone. however the symptoms your claiming that have been improved sound to me like psychosomatic results not actual physiological ones.
I really don’t want to reply on this 90 plus year old ability to stay awake for 150 hours. except to possibly suggest that he’s not, and perhaps you should take into consideration that this product is not what is claiming to be.
by Editor
Thanks. We usually remove product endorsements for the reasons you have cited.
by Terryinasia
Wait a minute this is getting confusing, whose posts are you deleting and why exactly? September 19, 2016
by GGTrust posted a link to a supplement product and gave it a raving review. I Looked at the site and gave my opinion as did one other member, who now is getting his post deleted however he’s not toting any products, he’s just critiquing it. And he’s doing so in no more aggressive form or fashion than the original posts claiming its products viability… why is one member being censored, and the other not? Especially considering the member that’s not being censored is the one that originally aired the link and promoted this very questionable product….hmmmm I sense an injustice here
by deavman
Well here we go again. I have responded to the advert posted by GGTrust and both times my comment was promptly deleted. OK I get it… no criticism allowed. So I will say this . Mareset.com sells a wonderful product, it is so quick that in only a few short weeks, I was able to reverse my natural aging and become a toddler again. I cannot stop telling my friends and family about the amazing effects of this wondrous potion, but the problem is they don’t recognize me…No matter, go see this amazing website where the owner is able to praise his patented, ultra condensed, micronized laser guided, nano-pulverized, ozone bearing, oxygen producing and ribozome quenching, for at least 17days without stopping for even a second and he is 90 years old…
Oh also if you hurry and purchase 3 months supply by next sunday, it will also get rid of your mother in law for you.
by Terryinasia
LOL… well said!
It’s concerning that they’re deleting your posts. Censorship is a double-edged sword, odd that they’re only swinging it in your direction
by Editor
deavman: Your posts were deleted because they contained ad-hominem personal attacks: “You obviously know nothing about science,” for example. Another one was deleted because it was off-topic, about your personal complaints. You can address complaints to editors@kurzweilai.net.
by holders55
From the article pdf:
“0.5% (w/v) PE4 from Cimicifuga racemosa, 0.5%
(w/v) PE5 from Valeriana officinalis L., 1.0% (w/v)
PE6 from Passiflora incarnata L., 0.3% (w/v) PE8 from
Ginkgo biloba, 0.1% (w/v) PE12 from Apium graveolens
L. and 0.1% (w/v) PE21 from Salix alba were used [78]. A
20% (w/v) stock solution of each PE in ethanol was made
on the day of adding this PE to cell cultures. For each PE,
the stock solution was added to growth medium with 2%
(w/v) glucose immediately following cell inoculation into
the medium.”
by tschaefer
Ethanol you say? So I’ll pull apart the individual capsules and mix them in a shot of vodka!
by Eloise23
tschaefer,
You could.
The herbs found in the capsules are USUALLY of very poor quality. And to get the effects of an extract, silly numbers of capsules need to be taken. One wonders if the gelatin capsules themselves become a problem at this point.
If the herb itself is bought in bulk, an extract can be made by soaking it in vodka for a few weeks. This comes out to be about 1/5 or 1/6 the retail price of commercially made extracts. The costliest part is the vodka.
by leilakin
The title of this article is “These six plant extracts could delay aging” yet there is no mention of any of the plants, other than Willow Bark.
If you’re going use a demonstrative word (like “these”) in your article, then please demonstrate (illustrate, show, tell, reveal, etc…) the plants you refer to.
How frustrating to read through the article and not see which plants “THESE SIX PLANTS” refers to. Also, the links within the article do not demonstrate which six plants are in this study, other than Willow Bark.
Thanks.
by silicaroach
I will have to look again but did not on first brush find anything that actually stated _which_ plant extracts were used. Besides making it impossible to reproduce the results, the omission seems odd given that the research was at least partially publicly funded.
by Linda6547
White Willow Bark extract was listed as the ‘most effective’ however how easy is it to obtain? Is there a white willow bark ‘tea’? Sounds like the willow used in the sweat lodge ceremonies might put this particular resin into the steam and perhaps this is why the ceremony is such a cleansing process. Sweat lodges were made from willow branches if I recall. Also the other 5 extracts were not listed….what were they?
by OranjeeGeneral
According to wikipedia this has been known since over two centuries:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salix_alba
by Eloise23
The article is indeed a bit short on specifics. I’d like to know the species of the other helpful herbs.
White Willow Bark (Salix alba) can be ordered from Mountain Rose Herbs (https://www.mountainroseherbs.com/) and they do have an extract (https://www.mountainroseherbs.com/products/white-willow-extract/profile). There are other sources of these herbs and extracts, such as Frontier and Starwest.
by tim the realist
Ludwig Von Beetoven died from kidney failure caused by ingesting too much white willow bark extract. It’s a blood thinner similar to aspirin but decreases blood flow to kidneys. proceed with caution.
by tschaefer
Probably mostly due to the anti-inflammatory effects of aspirin. Might be easier to just take a pill.
by Pastymage
It’s in “Materials and Methods” at the end:
0.5% (w/v) PE4 from Cimicifuga racemosa, 0.5% (w/v) PE5 from Valeriana officinalis L., 1.0% (w/v) PE6 from Passiflora incarnata L., 0.3% (w/v) PE8 from Ginkgo biloba, 0.1% (w/v) PE12 from Apium graveolens L. and 0.1% (w/v) PE21 from Salix alba were used [78]. A 20% (w/v) stock solution of each PE in ethanol was made on the day of adding this PE to cell cultures. For each PE, the stock solution was added to growth medium with 2% (w/v) glucose immediately following cell inoculation into the medium.
by kniehoff
Aging-delaying PEs
0.5% (w/v) PE4 from Cimicifuga racemosa, 0.5% (w/v) PE5 from Valeriana officinalis L., 1.0% (w/v) PE6 from Passiflora incarnata L., 0.3% (w/v) PE8 from Ginkgo biloba, 0.1% (w/v) PE12 from Apium graveolens L. and 0.1% (w/v) PE21 from Salix alba were used [78]. A 20% (w/v) stock solution of each PE in ethanol was made on the day of adding this PE to cell cultures. For each PE, the stock solution was added to growth medium with 2% (w/v) glucose immediately following cell inoculation into the medium.
by realtking9
What are the plant extracts 4,5,6,8,12 and 21? There is no evolutionary conserved network of integrated signaling pathways and protein kinases of yeast. The integrated pathways and protein kinases of yeast were created by God. There may be some variations due to DNA statistical differences. The plant extracts must have the 90 essential minerals, vitamins, amino acids, prebiotics, probiotics, and enzymes that we need to live to be 200 years of age. I understand the extract but haven’t read the complete report. Before the flood of the earth man lived to be (Genesis 5:27) nine hundred and sixty-nine years. Please send any answers to realtking9@hotmail.com
by deavman
Sorry to disappoint you, the plants in question were destroyed by the flood….god wanted it so..(sarcasm on)