Peonidin-3-glucoside extends the lifespan of Caenorhabditis elegans and enhances its tolerance to heat, UV, and oxidative stresses

Abstract

Anthocyanins have long been established for their benefits to various organisms, ranging from lifespan extension and healthspan improvement in animal models to enhanced immunity and organ function in humans. In Asia, staple food, such as potatoes and rice, contains peonidin, a flavylium-bearing anthocyanin. However, its benefits have only been demonstrated in crude or partially purified extracts, with scarce data on its purified form. In this study, peonidin-3-glucoside (P3G) was tested for antioxidant properties and was administered to Caenorhabditis elegans under various forms of stresses (ultraviolet, heat, and oxidative stress). P3G showed free radical scavenging activity with an EC50 6.9-fold higher than that of ascorbic acid but was twofold lower than that of CoQ10 (150 μg/ml). Using its sublethal concentration (50 μg/ml), P3G extended the lifespan of C. elegans by 14% greater than that of vehicle (dH2O) but comparable with CoQ10 (16%). In addition, 50 μg/ml P3G increased the pharyngeal pumping rate of C. elegans by 8.3%, which is an indicator of healthspan improvement. When compared with dH2O under ultraviolet (UVA), heat (30 °C), and H2O2(100 μm) stressors, P3G continued to increase the lifespan of C. elegans by 23%, 25%, and 47%, respectively; which CoQ10 was not able to achieve except under H2O2stress. Meanwhile, egg-laying ability-which is another indicator of healthspan-did not improve with either P3G or CoQ10. Taken together, P3G enhanced the lifespan and healthspan of C. elegans in the presence of UV, heat, and oxidative stresses, with mechanisms possibly diverging from its antioxidant activity that warrant further investigation.