title: Longevity extension by phytochemicals.
abstract: Phytochemicals are structurally diverse secondary metabolites synthesized by plants and also by non-pathogenic endophytic microorganisms living within plants. Phytochemicals help plants to survive environmental stresses, protect plants from microbial infections and environmental pollutants, provide them with a defense from herbivorous organisms and attract natural predators of such organisms, as well as lure pollinators and other symbiotes of these plants. In addition, many phytochemicals can extend longevity in heterotrophic organisms across phyla via evolutionarily conserved mechanisms. In this review, we discuss such mechanisms. We outline how structurally diverse phytochemicals modulate a complex network of signaling pathways that orchestrate a distinct set of longevity-defining cellular processes. This review also reflects on how the release of phytochemicals by plants into a natural ecosystem may create selective forces that drive the evolution of longevity regulation mechanisms in heterotrophic organisms inhabiting this ecosystem. We outline the most important unanswered questions and directions for future research in this vibrant and rapidly evolving field.
authors: Department of Biology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke Street, West, SP Building, Room 501-13, Montreal, QC H4B 1R6, Canada. anna_leonova@yahoo.com.
authors: Anna
authors: A
authors: Leonov
authors: Department of Biology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke Street, West, SP Building, Room 501-13, Montreal, QC H4B 1R6, Canada. anthony.arlia@outlook.com.
authors: Anthony
authors: A
authors: Arlia-Ciommo
authors: Department of Biology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke Street, West, SP Building, Room 501-13, Montreal, QC H4B 1R6, Canada. amandapiano91@hotmail.com.
authors: Amanda
authors: A
authors: Piano
authors: Department of Biology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke Street, West, SP Building, Room 501-13, Montreal, QC H4B 1R6, Canada. klubnika_veronika@hotmail.com.
authors: Veronika
authors: V
authors: Svistkova
authors: Department of Biology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke Street, West, SP Building, Room 501-13, Montreal, QC H4B 1R6, Canada. lutchman.david@hotmail.com.
authors: Vicky
authors: V
authors: Lutchman
authors: Department of Biology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke Street, West, SP Building, Room 501-13, Montreal, QC H4B 1R6, Canada. writetoyounes@gmail.com.
authors: Younes
authors: Y
authors: Medkour
authors: Department of Biology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke Street, West, SP Building, Room 501-13, Montreal, QC H4B 1R6, Canada. vladimir.titorenko@concordia.ca.
authors: Vladimir I
authors: VI
authors: Titorenko
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D017753:Ecosystem; D006801:Humans; D008136:Longevity; D064209:Phytochemicals / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D064210:Secondary Metabolism
chemical_list: D064209:Phytochemicals