A component of coffee affected muscle aging
The organic compound trigonelline, which is found in coffee, can improve muscle health and function. This is the conclusion reached by an international team of researchers.
Trigonellin is a naturally occurring organic compound, the second most important in coffee after caffeine. This substance is also found in fenugreek and pumpkin seeds, as well as in the human body. Scientists from Nestlé Research in Switzerland and the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine at the National University of Singapore have discovered that trigonelline may determine how a person's muscles age. Serum levels of the substance were lower in older people diagnosed with sarcopenia, a condition in which cellular changes that occur during aging gradually weaken the body's muscles and lead to accelerated loss of muscle mass, strength and reduced physical ability to live independently without reliance on relatives or medical personnel.
Among the hallmarks of sarcopenia are mitochondrial dysfunction (they produce insufficient energy) and low nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) levels. NAD+ levels can be increased with the essential amino acid L-tryptophan and forms of vitamin B3 such as nicotinic acid, nicotinamide, nicotinamidriboside, and nicotinamide mononucleotide. A new study has shown that trigonelline, structurally related to nicotinic acid, improves mitochondrial activity and increases serum NAD+ levels. This link, the scientists found, is valid for Caenorhabditis elegans roundworms, mice and humans. The corresponding article was published in the journal Nature Matabolism.
In the study of humans, the authors of the publication studied muscle biopsies of 20 Chinese residents - men 65-79 years old with confirmed sarcopenia, as well as a control group of 20 healthy people of similar age. The biopsy samples obtained were treated with trigonelliniiodide and then the cells were analyzed for signs of sarcopenia.
The scientists also drew on a study previously conducted in Iran on a sample of 186 men 60 years and older who participated in the Bushehr Elderly Nutrition Epidemiologic Study. Their grip strength was measured using a digital dynamometer (there were three repetitions for each arm, and the highest mean grip strength value for the strongest arm was used) and their body mass index was determined. In addition, the experts evaluated the diet of the elderly by examining all the food and drinks they consumed over a 24-hour period.
Both research papers measured tryptophan and vitamin B3 metabolites. The scientists obtained information about them by analyzing samples of venous blood that the study participants gave on an empty stomach.
Since nutrition and physical activity affect a person's lifestyle and can maintain muscle health during aging, the scientists were pleased with the results of the study:
"We were delighted to find that a natural molecule from food interacts with cellular signs of aging. The benefits of trigonelline for cellular metabolism and muscle health during aging offer promising possibilities."