Table 1.
Mechanisms of anti‐ageing/age‐related diseases via regulation of telomere and telomerase by TCM
| Active ingredients/source | Experimental model | Efficacy | Mechanism | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polysaccharide | ||||
| Cistanche deserticola Ma | D‐galactose‐induced subacute ageing model mice | Significantly decreases MDA content in heart and brain, enhances telomerase activity, lymphocyte proliferation, phagocytosis of peritoneal macrophages and peripheral blood IL‐2 content | Antagonizes free radical injury and enhances telomerase activity and the immunity of ageing mice | (Zhang et al., 2011a) |
| Cynomorium songaricum Rupr. | D‐galactose‐induced ageing of mice | Exerts the anti‐ ageing effect on the ageing mice | Significantly increases the activity of telomerase in testicle | (Ma et al., 2009) |
| Angelica sinensis Oliv. Diels | D‐galactose and sodium nitrite‐induced subacute senile dementia mice | Improves the ability of learning and memory, delays ageing | Might by increasing SOD and telomerase activity | (Li et al., 2013) |
| X‐ray irradiation‐induced ageing of murine haematopoietic stem cell | Significantly inhibits the cell ratio of in HSC G1 stage and the increase in the number of SA‐β‐Gal positive cells, down‐regulates the expression of p53 protein and increases the length of telomere and the vitality of telomerase in HSCs | May be related to the increase in the length of telomere and the activity of telomerase, as well as the down‐regulation of the expression of p53 protein | (Zhang et al., 2013a) | |
| Astragalus membranaeus Fisch. Bge. | Senile human embryonic lung diploid fibroblasts | Improves cell viability of HDF cells, reduces expression of SA‐β‐gal and shortening velocity of TRF | Modulates telomerase activity, regulates or changes telomere binding protein | (Zhu et al., 2012) |
| Flavonoid | ||||
| Euphorbia humifusa Willd. | D‐galactose‐induced ageing mice | Improves telomerase content and SOD activity in testes and brain tissues of aged mice, decreases MDA content | Antioxidant and regulation of telomerase activity | (Cao et al., 2011) |
| Epimedium brevicornu Maxim. | Senescent human diploid fibroblasts (2BS) | Significantly extends the population doublings of 2BS cells, decreases the expression of p16 mRNA, increases the content of phosphorylated Rb protein and improves the telomere length of 2BS cells rather than activates telomerase activity | Protects telomere length probably through inhibiting the p16 gene expression, promoting the production of phosphorylated Rb protein but not activating the telomerase | (Hu et al., 2004) |
| Acteoside | ||||
| Cistanche tubulosa Schenk Wight | D‐galactose‐induced ageing mice | Decreases MDA content, obviously enhances telomerase activity in heart and brain, lymphocyte proliferation, phagocytosis of peritoneal macrophages and peripheral blood IL‐2 content | Antagonizes free radical injury and enhances telomerase activity and the immunity of ageing mice | (Zhang et al., 2008b) |
| C21 steroidal glycoside | ||||
| Cynanchum bungei Decne. | D‐galactose‐induced ageing mice | Prompts the ability of anti‐ oxidation, anti‐fatigue and anti‐stress | Increases SOD activity and telomerase activity, decreases MDA level | (Zhang et al., 2007) |
| Astragaloside | ||||
| Astragalus membranaeus Fisch. Bge. | Aged human embryonic lung fibroblast | Reduces β‐ galactosidase activity, increases cell viability, telomerase activity and klotho mRNA expression | Regulates telomerase activity and klotho gene expression | (Guo et al., 2010) |
| Ginsenoside Rg1 | ||||
| Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer | Tert‐butylhydroperoxide‐induced Sca‐1+ haemopoietic stem cell ageing in mice | Reduces the percentage of positive cells expressed SA‐β‐Gal and the number of cells entered G1 phase, increases the number of colony of mixed haematopoietic progenitor, markedly decreases telomere shortening, reinforces telomerase activity | Activates telomerase activity, reduces the shortening of telomere length | (Zhou et al., 2011) |
| Tert‐butylhydroperoxide (t‐BHP)‐induced senescence in WI‐38 cells | Attenuates t‐BHP‐induced cell senescence, markedly reduces the RTF shortening, promotes telomerase expression | Probably by activating telomerase activity and preventing terminal restriction fragment shortening | (Zhao et al., 2005) | |
| Alkaloid | ||||
| Uncaria rhynchophylla Miq. Miq. ex Havil. | D‐galactose‐induced ageing model of rats aortic endothelial cells | Improves cell morphology and inhibits cell ageing | Reduces expression of β‐galactosidase and relative expression quantity of telomerase | (Jiang et al., 2011) |
| Allicin | ||||
| Allium sativum Linn. | t‐BHP‐induced senescence in fibroblast cells | Significantly attenuates t‐BHP‐induced sencscence, markedly decreases RTF shortening and results in telomerase activation | Activates telomerase activity and prolongs terminal restriction fragment length | (Ke et al., 2006) |
| Pine pollen | ||||
| Pinus massoniana Lamb. | Human embryonic lung fibroblasts of ageing | Increases cell population doubling level and enhances telomerase activity | By activating telomerase activity | (Zhao and Yu, 2004) |