title: Korean mistletoe (Viscum album coloratum) extract extends the lifespan of nematodes and fruit flies.
abstract: Viscum album coloratum (Korean mistletoe) is a semi-parasitic plant that grows on various trees and has a variety of biological functions such as immunomodulation, apoptosis, and anti-tumor activity. In this study, we investigated the effects of Korean mistletoe extract (KME) on lifespan in experimental models using Caenorhabditis elegans and Drosophila melanogaster. Supplementation of KME at 50 μg/ml extended the mean survival time by 9.61 and 19.86 % in worms and flies, respectively. The longevity benefit of KME was not due to reduced feeding, reproduction, and/or locomotion in flies and worms. The supplementation of KME also did not increase resistance to various stresses including heat shock, oxidative, or starvation stresses. Furthermore, KME did not further extend the lifespan of flies fed a dietary restricted diet but did increase the expression of Sir2, one of the target genes of dietary restriction, suggesting that KME may function as a putative dietary restriction mimetic. These results also suggest that the longevity promoting effects of KME may be an example of mild stress-induced hormesis.
authors: Department of Biological Sciences, Inha University, Inchon, 402-751, Korea.
authors: Shin-Hae
authors: SH
authors: Lee
authors: Hyo-Sun
authors: HS
authors: An
authors: Yong Woo
authors: YW
authors: Jung
authors: Eun-Ji
authors: EJ
authors: Lee
authors: Hye-Yeon
authors: HY
authors: Lee
authors: Eun-Seok
authors: ES
authors: Choi
authors: Seon Woo
authors: SW
authors: An
authors: Heehwa
authors: H
authors: Son
authors: Seung-Jae
authors: SJ
authors: Lee
authors: Jong-Bae
authors: JB
authors: Kim
authors: Kyung-Jin
authors: KJ
authors: Min
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology*; D031204:Caloric Restriction; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects; D017344:Genes, Insect; D006655:Histone Deacetylases / Q000235:genetics; D008136:Longevity / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D055670:Medicine, Korean Traditional; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology; D037761:Sirtuins / Q000235:genetics; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000187:drug effects; D028182:Viscum album / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D010936:Plant Extracts; C447899:Sirt2 protein, Drosophila; D037761:Sirtuins; D006655:Histone Deacetylases