Resveratrol: An Antiaging Drug with Potential Therapeutic Applications in Treating Diseases

• Main Authors: Mercè Pallàs (Author), Daniel Ortuño-Sahagún (Author), Argelia E. Rojas-Mayorquín (Author), Carlos Beas-Zarate (Author), Ester Verdaguer (Author), Antoni Camins (Author), Felix Junyent (Author)
• Format: Book
• Published: MDPI AG, 2009-12-01T00:00:00Z.
• Subjects: article
• Online Access: Connect to this object online.
• Notes: 10.3390/ph2030194; 1424-8247
• Keywords: resveratrol; Alzheimer's disease; Parkinson's disease; SIRT1; Medicine; R; Pharmacy and materia medica; RS1-441
• Source: Pharmaceuticals, Vol 2, Iss 3, Pp 194-205 (2009)

The prevention of aging is one of the most fascinating areas in biomedicine. The first step in the development of effective drugs for aging prevention is a knowledge of the biochemical pathways responsible for the cellular aging process. In this context it seems clear that free radicals play a key role in the aging process. However, in recent years it has been demonstrated that the families of enzymes called sirtuins, specifically situin 1 (SIRT1), have an anti-aging action. Thus, the natural compound resveratrol is a natural compound that shows a very strong activation of SIRT1 and also shows antioxidant effects. By activating sirtuin 1, resveratrol modulates the activity of numerous proteins, including peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor coactivator-1α (PGC-1 alpha), the FOXO family, Akt (protein kinase B) and NFκβ. In the present review, we suggest that resveratrol may constitute a potential drug for prevention of ageing and for the treatment of several diseases due to its antioxidant properties and sirtuin activation.