Health Effects of Resveratrol: Results from Human Intervention Trials

Resveratrol derivatives increase cytosolic calcium by inhibiting plasma membrane ATPase and inducing calcium release from the endoplasmic reticulum in prostate cancer cells

Resveratrol (RES) is a putative chemotherapeutic naturally found in grapes, peanuts, and Japanese knotweed. Previous studies demonstrate that RES modulates calcium signaling as part of its chemotherapeutic activity. In this study, we determined the chemotherapeutic activity of three RES esters that have been modified at the 4' hydroxyl by the addition of pivalate, butyrate, and isobutyrate. All of the RES derivatives disrupted the calcium signaling in prostate cancer cells more than the parent compound, RES. Further, we demonstrate that the RES derivatives may disrupt the calcium homeostasis by activating calcium release from the endoplasmic reticulum and inhibiting plasma membrane Ca2+-ATPase. The pivalated and butyrated RES derivatives decreased cell viability significantly more than RES. Because pivalated and butyrated RES are more effective than RES at targeting calcium signaling pathways, pivalated and butyrated RES may serve as more effective chemotherapeutics.

Effect of resveratrol on adipokines and myokines involved in fat browning: Perspectives in healthy weight against obesity

Obesity is a globally widespread metabolic disorder, characterized by immoderate fat accumulation in the body. There are different types of body fats such as white adipose tissue (WAT), which stores surplus energy in the body, and brown adipose tissue (BAT) which utilize energy to produce heat during metabolism. BAT acts many beneficial functions in metabolic disorders including type 2 diabetes and obesity. Recent studies have investigated methods for promoting the fat browning process of WAT in obesity because of various reasons such as the improvement of insulin resistance, and weight loss. Among natural polyphenolic compounds, resveratrol has been highlighted due to its anti-oxidant and anti-obesity as well as anti-inflammation and anti-cancer properties. Recent studies have paid a lot of attention to that resveratrol may act as a fat browning activator, involved in the secretion of many myokines and adipokines. Here, we reviewed the role of resveratrol in fat browning and also the association between resveratrol and adipokines/myokines in the fat browning process. Our review may provide novel insight into the role of resveratrol in fat browning, leading to the maintenance of a healthy weight against obesity.

Role of Resveratrol and Selenium on Oxidative Stress and Expression of Antioxidant and Anti-Aging Genes in Immortalized Lymphocytes from Alzheimer's Disease Patients

Oxidative damage is involved in the pathophysiology of age-related ailments, including Alzheimer's disease (AD). Studies have shown that the brain tissue and also lymphocytes from AD patients present increased oxidative stress compared to healthy controls (HCs). Here, we use lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs) from AD patients and HCs to investigate the role of resveratrol (RV) and selenium (Se) in the reduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated after an oxidative injury. We also studied whether these compounds elicited expression changes in genes involved in the antioxidant cell response and other aging-related mechanisms. AD LCLs showed higher ROS levels than those from HCs in response to H2O2 and FeSO4 oxidative insults. RV triggered a protective response against ROS under control and oxidizing conditions, whereas Se exerted antioxidant effects only in AD LCLs under oxidizing conditions. RV increased the expression of genes encoding known antioxidants (catalase, copper chaperone for superoxide dismutase 1, glutathione S-transferase zeta 1) and anti-aging factors (sirtuin 1 and sirtuin 3) in both AD and HC LCLs. Our findings support RV as a candidate for inducing resilience and protection against AD, and reinforce the value of LCLs as a feasible peripheral cell model for understanding the protective mechanisms of nutraceuticals against oxidative stress in aging and AD.

Resveratrol Action on Lipid Metabolism in Cancer

Cancer diseases have the leading position in human mortality nowadays. The age of oncologic patients is still decreasing, and the entire scientific society is eager for new ways to fight against cancer. One of the most discussed issues is prevention by means of natural substances. Resveratrol is a naturally occurring plant polyphenol with proven antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer effects. Tumor cells display specific changes in the metabolism of various lipids. Resveratrol alters lipid metabolism in cancer, thereby affecting storage of energy, cell signaling, proliferation, progression, and invasiveness of cancer cells. At the whole organism level, it contributes to the optimal metabolism extent with respect to the demands of the organism. Thus, resveratrol could be used as a preventive and anticancer agent. In this review, we focus on some of the plethora of lipid pathways and signal molecules which are affected by resveratrol during carcinogenesis.

Noncoding RNAs as Molecular Targets of Resveratrol Underlying Its Anticancer Effects

Cancer is a significant disease burden worldwide. Chemotherapy is the mainstay of cancer treatment. Clinically used chemotherapeutic agents may elicit severe side effects. Remarkably, most of cancer cells develop chemoresistance after a period of treatment. Therefore, it is imperative to seek more effective agents without side effects. In recent years, increasing research efforts have attempted to identify natural agents that may be used alone or in combination with traditional therapeutics for cancer management. Resveratrol is a natural polyphenolic phytoalexin that can be found in various foods including blueberries, peanuts, and red wine. As a natural food ingredient, resveratrol possesses antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and cardioprotective properties. Moreover, resveratrol exhibited promising effects in suppressing the initiation and progression of cancers. Noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) have been universally accepted as vital regulators in cancer pathogenesis. The modulation of miRNAs and lncRNAs by resveratrol has been described. Thus, the mechanism involving the domination of ncRNA function is one of the keys to understand the anticancer effects of resveratrol. In this review, we focus on the antagonistic effects of resveratrol on cancer progression through regulation of miRNAs and lncRNAs. We also discuss the potential application of resveratrol in cancer management.

Resveratrol and Its Effects on the Vascular System

Resveratrol, the phenolic substance isolated initially from Veratrum grandiflorum and richly present in grapes, wine, peanuts, soy, and berries, has been attracting attention of scientists and medical doctors for many decades. Herein, we review its effects on the vascular system. Studies utilizing cell cultures and pre-clinical models showed that resveratrol alleviates oxidative stress and inflammation. Furthermore, resveratrol suppresses vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation, promotes autophagy, and has been investigated in the context of vascular senescence. Pre-clinical models unambiguously demonstrated numerous vasculoprotective effects of resveratrol. In clinical trials, resveratrol moderately diminished systolic blood pressure in hypertensive patients, as well as blood glucose in patients with diabetes mellitus. Yet, open questions remain, as exemplified by a recent report which states that the intake of resveratrol might blunt certain positive effects of exercise in older persons, and further research addressing the framework for long-term use of resveratrol as a food supplement, will stay in demand.

Resveratrol Anti-Obesity Effects: Rapid Inhibition of Adipocyte Glucose Utilization

Studies in animal models of diabetes and obesity have shown that resveratrol mitigates complications of metabolic diseases, beyond those resulting from oxidative stress. Furthermore, results obtained with cultured preadipocytes have also revealed that prolonged resveratrol treatment impairs adipogenesis. Considering the role of adipocytes in the hypertrophy of fat stores, and keeping in mind that insulin is the main trigger of excessive energy storage during post-prandial periods, the present study aimed to investigate how short-term effects of resveratrol can limit glucose disposal in a gut-adipose tissue axis. We found that resveratrol exhibits a more potent inhibitory capacity towards α-glucosidase than pancreatic lipase activity. Resveratrol also rapidly blunts glucose transport in mature fat cells by counteracting the effect of insulin and insulin-like lipogenic agents. Within two hours, resveratrol also inhibited the incorporation of glucose into lipids of adipocytes, which was unaffected by membrane cholesterol depletion. Moreover, the comparison between adipocytes with invalidated semicarbazide-sensitive amine oxidase activity and their control, or between resveratrol and several inhibitors, did not indicate that the recently described interaction of resveratrol with amine oxidases was involved in its antilipogenic effect. Caffeine and piceatannol, previously said to interact with glucose carriers, also inhibit lipogenesis in adipocytes, whereas other antioxidant phytochemicals do not reproduce such an antilipogenic effect. This study highlights the diverse first steps by which resveratrol impairs excessive fat accumulation, indicating that this natural molecule and its derivatives deserve further studies to develop their potential anti-obesity properties.

Resveratrol-Induced White Adipose Tissue Browning in Obese Mice by Remodeling Fecal Microbiota

Promoting the browning of white fat may be a potential means of combating obesity. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the effect of resveratrol (RES) on the body weight and browning of white fat in high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obese mice and the potential associated mechanism in vivo. Eight-week-old male mice were randomized to receive different treatments: (1), chow without any additional treatment (chow); (2), chow plus 0.4% resveratrol (chow-RES); (3), HFD without any additional treatment (HFD); and (4), HFD plus 0.4% resveratrol (HFD-RES). After 4 weeks of feeding, additional 8-week-old male recipient mice were randomly allocated to the following 4 treatments: (5), HFD and received feces from chow-fed mice; (6), HFD and received feces from chow-RES-fed mice; (7), HFD and received feces from HFD-fed mice; and (8), HFD and received feces from HFD-RES-fed mice. RES treatment significantly inhibited increases in fat accumulation, promoted the browning of white adipose tissue (WAT) and alleviated gut microbiota dysbiosis in HFD-fed mice. Subsequent analyses showed that the gut microbiota remodeling induced by resveratrol had a positive role in WAT browning, and sirtuin-1 (Sirt1) signaling appears to be a key component of this process. Overall, the results show that RES may serve as a potential intervention to reduce obesity by alleviating dysbiosis of the gut microbiota.