Longevity and Stress Resistant Property of 6-Gingerol from<i>Zingiber officinale</i>Roscoe in<i>Caenorhabditis elegans</i>

Abstract

In order to discover lifespan-extending compounds made from natural resources, activity-guided fractionation of <i>Zingiber officinale</i> Roscoe (Zingiberaceae) ethanol extract was performed using the <i>Caenorhabditis elegans</i> (<i>C. elegans</i>) model system. The compound 6-gingerol was isolated from the most active ethyl acetate soluble fraction, and showed potent longevity-promoting activity. It also elevated the survival rate of worms against stressful environment including thermal, osmotic, and oxidative conditions. Additionally, 6-gingerol elevated the antioxidant enzyme activities of <i>C. elegans</i>, and showed a dose-depend reduction of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation in worms. Further studies demonstrated that the increased stress tolerance of 6-gingerol-mediated worms could result from the promotion of stress resistance proteins such as heat shock protein (HSP-16.2) and superoxide dismutase (SOD-3). The lipofuscin levels in 6-gingerol treated intestinal worms were decreased in comparison to the control group. No significant 6-gingerol-related changes, including growth, food intake, reproduction, and movement were noted. These results suggest that 6-gingerol exerted longevity-promoting activities independently of these factors and could extend the human lifespan.