Elixir of immortality? Wine, resveratrol and sirtuins: an overview

Abstract

Resveratrol, found in high concentrations in red grape skin, is a known sirtuin activator. Dietary restriction (DR) has been shown to extend lifespan in a variety of organisms, including mammals, and is potentially mediated via sirtuins, NAD+-dependent deacetylases. Hence, it has been proposed that resveratrol, acting via sirtuins, is a DR mimetic. An overview is provided of studies attempting to determine the exact relationship between DR, sirtuins and resveratrol, and current work in the field is explored with respect to differing hypotheses of resveratrol-mediated DR effects.

Keywords:

• resveratrol
• sirtuins
• dietary restriction