In vivo demonstration of anti-senescence effect of natural hydrophilic antioxidant carnosine
S. Gallant (1) and A. Boldyrev (2)
1 - Zoetic Neurosciences Ltd., 4 Ivester Court, Wing Road, Leighton Buzzard, Beds LU7 7NW, Great Britain
2 - M.V. Lomonosov State University, Lenin's Hills 119992, Moscow, Russia
Carnosine (b-alanyl-L-histidine) is known to be a natural neuropeptide
with a variety of protecting properties preventing neuronal cell death
under conditions of oxidative stress. Its antioxidant (Severin et al,
1984; Aruoma et al, 1989; Boldyrev et al, 1999), immunomodulating and
wound healing (Nagai and Suda, 1989) as well as radioprotective and
anti-ischemic (Boldyrev and Severin, 1990; Gallant et al, 2000;
Stvolinsky et al, 2002) abilities could be useful tool to prevent
accumulation of senescence features (Hipkiss, 1998). We have tested
anti-senescence effect of dietary carnosine measuring life-span of two
laboratory species, fruit-fly Drosophila melanogaster (D-32 strain) and
laboratory mice with accelerated senescence, Senescence Accelerated
Mice prone, SAMP. The average life-span of D. melanogaster females and
males was 42.4±1.4 and 29.2±1.3 day respectively. When carnosine
(0,02-0.2 mg/l) was added to the every-day fruit flies diet the
life-span of females was not changed significantly while that of males
increased till 36.9±1.2. In both cases partial metabolisation of
carnosine was demonstrated followed by subcequent accumulation of
histidine. When SAMP were grown on the diet containing carnosine (100
mg/kg body weight) 17-22% increase in average life-span was found with
slower accumulation of senile features, better learning ability and
normalized activities of brain monoamine oxidase B and superoxide
dismutase. The conclusion was made that carnosine possesses pronounced
anti-senescence effect in vivo.
Key words:
carnosine, oxidative stress, life-span
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