A Ten-Day Grape Seed Procyanidin Treatment Prevents Certain Ageing Processes in Female Rats over the Long Term

Abstract

Adaptive homeostasis declines with age and this leads to, among other things, the appearance of chronic age-related pathologies such as cancer, neurodegeneration, osteoporosis, sarcopenia, cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Grape seed-derived procyanidins (GSPE) have been shown to be effective against several of these pathologies, mainly in young animal models. Here we test their effectiveness in aged animals: 21-month-old female rats were treated with 500 mg GSPE/kg of body weight for ten days. Afterwards they were kept on a chow diet for eleven weeks. Food intake, body weight, metabolic plasma parameters and tumor incidence were measured. The GSPE administered to aged rats had an effect on food intake during the treatment and after eleven weeks continued to have an effect on visceral adiposity. It prevented pancreas dysfunction induced by ageing and maintained a higher glucagon/insulin ratio together with a lower decrease in ketonemia. It was very effective in preventing age-related tumor development. All in all, this study supports the positive effect of GSPE on preventing some age-related pathologies.

Grape-Seed Proanthocyanidin Extract Reverts Obesity-Related Metabolic Derangements in Aged Female Rats

“…However, this dietary dose was not effective in decreasing body weight. In contrast, our group recently demonstrated that a dose of 500 mg/kg BW of GSPE is effective in reducing food intake in both lean and obese young rats [ 31 ] as well as in aged, chow-fed rats [ 15 , 32 ] and, therefore, helps to reduce body weight.…”

Bioactive Compounds, Health Benefits and Food Applications of Grape

“…A study by Ben Youssef et al revealed that red grape seed and skin extract effectively protected dopamine neurons from 6-hydroxydopamine-induced toxicity by decreasing apoptosis, oxidative stress and inflammation and prevented neuronal loss and improved motor function in a mouse model of Parkinson’s disease [ 88 ]. In addition, 10-day treatment with 500 mg/kg bw grape seed procyanidins prevented certain aging processes in aged female rats, such as visceral adiposity, pancreas dysfunction and tumor development [ 89 ]. The health benefits and underlying mechanisms of grape and its bioactive compounds are showed in Table 2 and Figure 2 .…”

Alleviation effects of grape seed proanthocyanidin extract on inflammation and oxidative stress in a d-galactose-induced aging mouse model by modulating the gut microbiota

“…Grau-Bove et al found that GSPE treatment had an effect on preventing pancreas dysfunction induced by aging and preventing age-related tumor development in aged rats. 10 Sierra-Cruz et al also showed that simultaneous administration of 500 mg per kg body weight GSPE improved metabolic disruptions and systemic inflammation in 21-month-old aged rats. 11…”