In recent years there has been many studies done to learn more about the SiRT1 enyme also known as the SiR2 enzyme. At the same time there has become an increased awareness about the effects of polyphenols, the most common polyphenol is resveratrol. Resveratrol can be found in two main forms, cis- and trans- form. Most of the resveratrol supplements in the market consist of the "trans" form.
What is resveratrol you might ask? You can vist www.myresveratrolexperience.com for an in-depth look at resveratrol. However, in short resveratrol is a phytoalexin produced by plants as a natural anti-biotic to fight disease and fungi. This defense mechanism, resveratrol, is found in several types of plants and foods including peanuts, grape skin, cranberries, and kost commonly in Japanese Knotweed (aka polygonum cupsidatum).
Resveratrol has gained exposure from recent studies that have been completed. The most well know studies are being done by Dr. David Sinclair the co-founder of Sirtris Pharmaceuticals. Sirtris is currently in Stage 1 trials with their key drug SRT501 which is a highly concentrated, more bioavailable, form of trans-resveratrol.
Much of the research being done with resveratrol is to measure the effects it has on activating SiRT1. By activating SiRT1 researchers believe they will be able to delay the onset of cell senescence (onset of death) and in turn keep more cells alive for longer periods of time. This is where all the rage is right now within these studies; Life extension by activating the SiRT1 enzyme by way of resveratrol.
Of course there are numerous potential benefits of resveratrol and what it does with SiRT1 and other body functions. In a future post I will discuss the benefits and potential benefits of resveratrol and it's relation to SiRT1.
If you are interested in purchasing resveratrol supplements please check out RevGenetics. The company is well run, has great customer service, and is constantly testing the purity of their product.
Any questions please feel free to comment. Hopefully we can all learn more together.
Markus
Resveratrol is a plant polyphenol capable of exerting beneficial metabolic effects which are thought to be mediated in large by the activation of the NAD(+)-dependent protein deacetylase SIRT1. Although resveratrol has been claimed to be a bona fide SIRT1 activator using a peptide substrate (Fluor de Lys-SIRT1 peptide substrate), recent reports indicate that this finding might be an experimental artifact and need to be clarified. Here, we show that: (i) the Fluor de Lys-SIRT1 peptide is an artificial SIRT1 substrate because in the absence of the covalently linked fluorophore the peptide itself is not a substrate of the enzyme, (ii) resveratrol does not activate SIRT1 in vitro in the presence of either a p53-derived peptide substrate or acetylated PGC-1alpha isolated from cells, and (iii) although SIRT1 deacetylates PGC-1alpha in both in vitro and cell-based assays, resveratrol did not activate SIRT1 under these conditions. Based on these observations, we conclude that the pharmacological effects of resveratrol in various models are unlikely to be mediated by a direct enhancement of the catalytic activity of the SIRT1 enzyme. In consequence, our data challenge the overall utility of resveratrol as a pharmacological tool to directly activate SIRT1.
Posted by: FYH | November 14, 2009 at 01:47 PM