Study reports Perilla frutescens extract extends lifespan and reduces fat in C. elegans via insulin/IGF-1 pathway
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Event tier C · Tier ceiling 74 · LONGIFI_SIGNAL_V1
Quick take
Researchers found that Perilla frutescens extract extends lifespan and lowers lipid storage in C. elegans by modulating the insulin/IGF-1 signaling pathway and activating stress-response transcription factors.
What happened
A study published in Biogerontology on September 26, 2026, investigated the effects of an ethyl acetate extract of Perilla frutescens leaves (EAEPF) using Caenorhabditis elegans as a model organism.
EAEPF treatment significantly prolonged the lifespan of the nematodes, improved pharyngeal pumping and head thrashing frequencies, and reduced lipofuscin and reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation.
The extract decreased malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, enhanced antioxidant enzyme activity, and increased resistance to thermal and juglone-induced oxidative stress.
The researchers reported that EAEPF significantly reduced lipid storage, showing a distinct lipid-lowering effect.
Mechanistically, the extract modulated the insulin/IGF-1 signaling (IIS) pathway and upregulated the transcription factors DAF-16/FOXO and SKN-1/Nrf2, leading to increased expression of stress-response genes sod-3, gst-4, and hsp-16.2.
Why it matters
The insulin/IGF-1 signaling pathway is a conserved longevity pathway across species, and demonstrating its modulation by EAEPF reinforces the potential of natural compounds as healthspan-promoting agents.
The dual benefit of lipid reduction and stress-resistance enhancement suggests that Perilla frutescens extract may function as a nutritional hormetin that reprograms lipid and glutathione metabolism to combat age-associated cellular stress.
Market impact
This pre-clinical research supports the growing academic interest in characterising bioactive botanicals for nutraceutical applications targeting metabolic aging.
The demonstrated alignment with the IGF-1 pathway reinforces metabolic health and lipid-lowering mechanisms as key focal points for early-stage longevity interventions, though translating these invertebrate findings to mammalian efficacy presents a significant developmental hurdle.
What comes next
Further pre-clinical validation of Perilla frutescens extracts or their specific isolated flavonoids in mammalian models to evaluate safety, metabolic efficacy, and translatability.
Sources
- NCBIPUBMED:LONGEVITY_RESEARCH