Constituent of red wine might slow down ageing process

Washington, November 27: A latest study conducted on mice shows that resveratrol, a constituent of red wine helps to improve their health and increase the lifespan.

The study was conducted by a group led by David Sinclair of the Harvard Medical School. According to scientists, with the increase in age the chromosomes get affected. But resveratrol can help restore the chromosomes back to health by acting on a protein called sirtuin.

A company by the name of Sirtris has already made numerous chemicals which have properties akin to those of resveratrol. These drugs are better suited because they activate sirtuin even when the dose administered is less than resveratrol.

But a lot more research needs to be done on resveratrol since only a few of its effects are exerted through sirtuin.

The latest study was basically concentrated on chromosomes. Chromosomes are the big molecules of DNA that comprise the genome. Every cell consists of DNA shielded within the nucleus. It has genetic instructions embedded in it and these are needed for the proper functioning of the human body.

Each cell has to constantly access the type of genes which it requires. But in the process, it has to keep away the unwanted ones. So, basically what sirtuin does is prevent each cell from coming in contact with the unwanted genes. It does so by tightly holding chromatin (covering of the DNA).

Another important function performed by sirtuin is to knit back a chromosome, if both the DNA strands break. But while doing this, it may so happen that the genes it is trying to suppress become active again thereby causing chaos. This is basically the main reason for ageing in mice and most likely in human beings too.

However, some experts do not find a convincing co-relation between sirtuin and ageing. Dr. Sinclair too agreed that this has not been proved yet. But he did add, “We are careful not to say this is the cause of ageing, but based on everything we know it’s not a bad hypothesis.”

The latest findings have been published in the online journal ‘Cell’.