Affiliations 

  • 1 Department of Pharmaceutical Life Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universiti Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
  • 2 Department of Pharmaceutical Life Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universiti Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Clinical Investigation Centre (CIC), 5th Floor, East Tower, University Malaya Medical Centre, 59100 Lembah Pantai Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Mushroom Research Centre, Universiti Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Electronic address: phancw@um.edu.my
  • 3 Department of Biomedical Science, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
  • 4 Mushroom Research Centre, Universiti Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Universiti Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Exp Gerontol, 2022 Dec;170:111982.
PMID: 36244584 DOI: 10.1016/j.exger.2022.111982

Abstract

Healthy ageing is a crucial process that needs to be highlighted as it affects the quality of lifespan. An increase in oxidative stress along with ageing is the major factor related to the age-associated diseases, especially neurodegenerative disorders. An antioxidant-rich diet has been proven to play a significant role in the ageing process. Targeting ageing mechanisms could be a worthwhile approach to improving health standards. Ergothioneine (EGT), a hydrophilic compound with specific transporter known as OCTN1, has been shown to exert anti-ageing properties. In addition to its antioxidant effect, EGT has been reported to have anti-senescence, anti-inflammatory and anti-neurodegenerative properties. This review aims to define the pivotal role of EGT in major signalling pathways in ageing such as insulin/insulin-like growth factor (IGF) signalling (IIS), sirtuin 6 (SIRT6) and mammalian target of rapamycin complex (mTOR) pathways. The review further discusses evidence of EGT on neurodegeneration in its therapeutic context in various model organisms, providing new insights into improving health. In conclusion, an ergothioneine-rich diet may be beneficial in preventing age-related diseases, resulting in a healthy ageing population.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.