Fiore Marco, Tonchev Anton B, Pancheva Ruzha Z, Yamashima Tetsumori, Venditti Sabrina, Ferraguti Giampiero, Terracina Sergio
Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology (IBBC-CNR), Department of Sensory Organs, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy.
Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University, 9000 Varna, Bulgaria.
Molecules. 2025 Jul 7;30(13):2888. doi: 10.3390/molecules30132888.
Plant polyphenols have emerged as potent bioactive molecules that can modulate key cellular pathways associated with aging and chronic disorders. The Mediterranean diet and the traditional Japanese style of life are rich in polyphenol-containing foods and beverages, and epidemiological evidence links these dietary patterns to increased longevity and reduced morbidity. This narrative review examines the chemical description of plant polyphenols, their mechanisms of action, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and hormetic effects, and how supplementation or a diet rich in these compounds may provide further life extension. We discuss the major classes of polyphenols present in the Mediterranean dietary pattern (e.g., resveratrol and hydroxytyrosol) and in the Japanese diet (e.g., epigallocatechin gallate and soy isoflavones), comparing their biological behaviors and cooperative effects on metabolic, cardiovascular, and neurodegenerative conditions. We also examine a few preclinical and clinical studies that explain the beneficial impact of these chemicals on aging-associated biomarkers. Furthermore, both dietary habits are characterized by low consumption of processed foods and sugary carbonated drinks and reduced utilization of deep-frying with linoleic acid-rich oils, a practice that reduces the formation of harmful lipid peroxidation products, notably 4-hydroxynonenal, known to be implicated in accelerating the aging process. The Mediterranean dietary pattern is also characterized by a low/moderate daily consumption of wine, mainly red wine. This work debates emerging evidence addressing issues of bioavailability, dosage optimization, and formulation technologies for polyphenol supplementation, also comparing differences and similarities with the vegan and vegetarian diets. We also explore how these chemicals could modulate epigenetic modifications that affect gene expression patterns pertinent to health and aging. In conclusion, we aim to show a consolidated framework for the comprehension of how plant polyphenols could be utilized in nutritional strategies for potentiating life expectancy while stimulating further research on nutraceutical development.
植物多酚已成为强大的生物活性分子，可调节与衰老和慢性疾病相关的关键细胞通路。地中海饮食和传统日式生活方式富含含多酚的食物和饮料，流行病学证据将这些饮食模式与延长寿命和降低发病率联系起来。本叙述性综述探讨了植物多酚的化学描述、其作用机制，包括抗炎、抗氧化和 hormetic 效应，以及补充这些化合物或富含这些化合物的饮食如何可能进一步延长寿命。我们讨论了地中海饮食模式（如白藜芦醇和羟基酪醇）和日式饮食（如表没食子儿茶素没食子酸酯和大豆异黄酮）中存在的主要多酚类别，比较它们对代谢、心血管和神经退行性疾病的生物学行为和协同作用。我们还研究了一些临床前和临床研究，这些研究解释了这些化学物质对衰老相关生物标志物的有益影响。此外，这两种饮食习惯的特点都是加工食品和含糖碳酸饮料的消费量低，以及减少使用富含亚油酸的油进行油炸，这种做法减少了有害脂质过氧化产物的形成，尤其是 4-羟基壬烯醛，已知其与加速衰老过程有关。地中海饮食模式的另一个特点是每天低/中度饮用葡萄酒，主要是红酒。这项工作讨论了有关多酚补充剂的生物利用度、剂量优化和配方技术问题的新出现证据，还比较了与纯素饮食和素食饮食的异同。我们还探讨了这些化学物质如何调节表观遗传修饰，这些修饰会影响与健康和衰老相关的基因表达模式。总之，我们旨在展示一个综合框架，以理解如何在营养策略中利用植物多酚来提高预期寿命，同时推动对营养保健品开发的进一步研究。
