Researchers feed worms a natural plant extract; watch them fatten, live
40% longer

Date:
February 23, 2022
Source:
Louisiana State University
Summary:
A new study looks at how a natural plant extract of a particular
kind of wormwood, Artemisia scoparia, could lead to longer
lifespans, including potentially for humans. The key lies in
enhanced metabolic health.



FULL STORY ==========================================================================
A research team in the Louisiana State University Department of Biological Sciences led by Assistant Professor Adam Bohnert has published a landmark
study linking greater metabolic health -- achieved through a natural
plant extract - - with longer lifespans in C. elegans, commonly known as roundworms. Although worms and humans don't appear to have much in common,
the researchers say there is good reason to assume the results could be replicated in people, as the study builds on previous work onmetabolic
health in mice, conducted at LSU's Pennington Biomedical Research Center
under Professor Jacqueline Stephens.


==========================================================================
"The reason this study made so much sense to do in worms is because
worms live for only about three weeks, so in a month or two, we had
definite results," said Bhaswati Ghosh, LSU student and lead author of
the published study.

Bohnert's and Stephens's research teams are interested in studying the
effects of Artemisia scoparia, a natural plant extract of a particular
kind of wormwood that is native to Asia. Made from its leaves, the extract
was fed to worms in various doses in Bohnert's lab. The treated worms
who received the highest and second-highest dose showed near-immediate improvement in their metabolic health. Not only did the treated worms
live up to 40% longer than the untreated control group -- they also
grew fat and a little slow, as their increased body mass made it harder
for them to move around. But the worms also became healthier and more resilient. It was easier for the treated worms to handle stress. In
addition, the researchers found that Artemisia scopariahelps convert
unhealthy fat stores into healthy fat stores in the body.

This study adds to previous work by Bohnert and LSU Assistant Professor
Alyssa Johnson on ways dietary changes influence aging at a cellular
level. Now, it appears Artemisia scoparia also can activate many
pro-longevity pathways in the body, and effectively turn on multiple
genes involved in the lifespan regulation process.

"Until recently, it wasn't really known how aging could be modified
through diet, or how core metabolic signaling pathways influence
longevity," Bohnert said. "What we've been able to show is that a natural extract can come in and influence these pathways in much the same way a
genetic mutation would." The study positions aging as non-deterministic
and under our control.



========================================================================== "Importantly, it gives us a therapeutic standpoint," Bohnert said. "We
know age is the primary risk factor for many diseases, such as cancer
and cardiovascular disease, but if you think of aging as a treatable
disease, you can actually treat many diseases at once." While the worms
who lived the longest were fed Artemisia scopariaduring the time they
reached reproductive maturity, or adulthood, Bohnert's team also observed significant effects in worms treated for the first time in middle age.

Instead of a 40% increase in lifespan, these worms still managed to live
about 20% longer.

The study offers a first look at how Artemisia scopariacould change aging
and longevity. It also reinforces the connection between metabolic health,
fat regulation and longer lifespans.

"Usually people think of fat as 'bad,' but in these cases, it
seems good, and actually pro-longevity," Bohnert said. "Artemisia
scopariacould have some exciting potential as a dietary supplement."
"Also, the simple fact that an organism is short, fat and slow-moving
does not necessarily qualify it as in poor health," Ghosh added. "These phenotypes must be considered in the full context of other parameters, including lifespan." There is currently no recommendation for humans
to take Artemisia scoparia as a supplement or any indication of what an effective and safe dosage could be. The researchers investigated several
kinds of related plant extracts and only observed positive effects on
fat regulation and longevity with Artemisia scoparia.Common wormwood,
Artemisia absinthium, used as an ingredient in the alcoholic beverage
absinthe, is moderately poisonous and was not included in the study.

This work was funded by a pilot grant through Pennington Biomedical's
NIH- funded Botanicals Dietary Supplements Research Center. The study
was published on February 15, 2022 in The Journals of Gerontology.

========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by Louisiana_State_University. Note:
Content may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Bhaswati Ghosh, Hayden J Guidry, Maxwell Johnston, K Adam
Bohnert. A fat-
promoting botanical extract from Artemisia scoparia exerts
geroprotective effects on C. elegans lifespan and stress
resistance. The Journals of Gerontology: Series A, 2022; DOI:
10.1093/gerona/glac040 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/02/220223133504.htm

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