[
Mech Ageing Dev,
2018]
Past investigations have shown that various plant extracts are capable of promoting longevity in lower model organisms like Caenorhabditis elegans, Drosophila melanogaster, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Bombyx mori etc. Longevity studies on such organisms provide a foundation to explore anti-aging efficacies of such plant extracts in higher organisms. Plant extracts of acai palm, apple, asparagus, blueberry, cinnamon, cocoa, Damnacanthus, maize, mistletoe, peach, pomegranate, Rhodiola, rose, Sasa, turmeric, and Withania have extended lifespan in lower model organisms via diverse mechanisms like insulin like growth factor (IGF) signaling pathway, and antioxidant defense mechanisms. Knowledge of pathways altered by the extracts can be investigated as potential drug-targets for natural anti-aging interventions. Thus, the aim of the review is to scrutinize longevity promoting efficacies of various plant extracts in lower model organisms.
[
Neurotoxicology,
2008]
Manganese (Mn) is a transition metal that is essential for normal cell growth and development, but is toxic at high concentrations. While Mn deficiency is uncommon in humans, Mn toxicity is known to be readily prevalent due to occupational overexposure in miners, smelters and possibly welders. Excessive exposure to Mn can cause Parkinson''s disease-like syndrome; patients typically exhibit extrapyramidal symptoms that include tremor, rigidity and hypokinesia [Calne DB, Chu NS, Huang CC, Lu CS, Olanow W. Manganism and idiopathic parkinsonism: similarities and differences. Neurology 1994;44(9):1583-6; Dobson AW, Erikson KM, Aschner M. Manganese neurotoxicity. Ann NY Acad Sci 2004;1012:115-28]. Mn-induced motor neuron diseases have been the subjects of numerous studies; however, this review is not intended to discuss its neurotoxic potential or its role in the etiology of motor neuron disorders. Rather, it will focus on Mn uptake and transport via the orthologues of the divalent metal transporter (DMT1) and its possible implications to Mn toxicity in various categories of eukaryotic systems, such as in vitro cell lines, in vivo rodents, the fruitfly, Drosophila melanogaster, the honeybee, Apis mellifera L., the nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans and the baker''s yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae.