Functional food science and defence against reactive oxidative species

This paper assesses critically the science base that underpins the argument that oxidative damage is a significant causative factor in the development of human diseases and that antioxidants are capable of preventing or ameliorating these disease processes. The assessment has been carried out under a number of headings, and some recommendations for future research are made based on the present day knowledge bas

Exceptional human longevity is associated with a specific plasma phenotype of ether lipids

A lipid profile resistant to oxidative damage is an inherent trait associated with animal lifespan. However, there is a lack of lipidomic studies on human longevity. Here we use mass spectrometry based technologies to detect and quantify 137 ether lipids to define a phenotype of healthy humans with exceptional lifespan. Ether lipids were chosen because of their antioxidant properties and ability to modulate oxidative stress. Our results demonstrate that a specific ether lipid signature can be obtained to define the centenarian state. This profile comprises higher level of alkyl forms derived from phosphatidylcholine with shorter number of carbon atoms and double bonds; and decreased content in alkenyl forms from phosphatidylethanolamine with longer chain length and higher double bonds. This compositional pattern suggests that ether lipids from centenarians are more resistant to lipid peroxidation, and that ether lipid signature expresses an optimized feature associated with exceptional human longevity. These results are in keeping with the free radical theory of aging.We acknowledge funding from the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science (ref. SAF2013–44663-R), and from the ‘Red Tematica de Investigación Cooperativa en Envejecimiento y Fragilidad’ (RETICEF) (ref. ISCIII2012-RED-43-029) to J.V.; and from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness/Institute of Health Carlos III (ref. PI14/00328), and the Autonomous Government of Catalonia, Department of Health (ref. SLT002/16/00250) and Department of Business and Knowledge (ref. 2017SGR696) to R.P. This study has been co-financed by FEDER funds from the European Union (“Una manera de hacer Europa”). I.P. was supported by a University of Lleida Predoctoral Fellowship. K.H. was supported by a Dementia Australia Research Foundation Scholarship

Life-long spontaneous exercise does not prolong lifespan but improves health span in mice

BackgroundLife expectancy at birth in the first world has increased from 35 years at the beginning of the 20th century to more than 80 years now. The increase in life expectancy has resulted in an increase in age-related diseases and larger numbers of frail and dependent people. The aim of our study was to determine whether life-long spontaneous aerobic exercise affects lifespan and healthspan in mice.ResultsMale C57Bl/6J mice, individually caged, were randomly assigned to one of two groups: sedentary (n = 72) or spontaneous wheel-runners (n = 72). We evaluated longevity and several health parameters including grip strength, motor coordination, exercise capacity (VO2max) and skeletal muscle mitochondrial biogenesis. We also measured the cortical levels of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a neurotrophin associated with brain plasticity. In addition, we measured systemic oxidative stress (malondialdehyde and protein carbonyl plasma levels) and the expression and activity of two genes involved in antioxidant defense in the liver (that is, glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and manganese superoxide dismutase (Mn-SOD)). Genes that encode antioxidant enzymes are considered longevity genes because their over-expression may modulate lifespan. Aging was associated with an increase in oxidative stress biomarkers and in the activity of the antioxidant enzymes, GPx and Mn-SOD, in the liver in mice. Life-long spontaneous exercise did not prolong longevity but prevented several signs of frailty (that is, decrease in strength, endurance and motor coordination). This improvement was accompanied by a significant increase in the mitochondrial biogenesis in skeletal muscle and in the cortical BDNF levels.ConclusionLife-long spontaneous exercise does not prolong lifespan but improves healthspan in mice. Exercise is an intervention that delays age-associated frailty, enhances function and can be translated into the clinic

Efecto de los iones de los metales alcalinos sobre la amplitud y velocidad de conducción del potencial de acción en el nervio ciático de rana

Se estudia, sobre nervio ciático aislado de rana (Rana esculenta), el efecto que sobre la amplitud y velocidad de conducción desarrollan los iones alcalinos. La evolución de amplitud es, en todo momento, superponible a la de la velocidad de conducción. Los resultados obtenidos han sido: el Li+ reemplaza con eficacia al Na+ en la génesis del potencial de acción, aunque provoca una disminución ligera y relativamente tardía de la amplitud y velocidad de conducción