Posted by Mike on March 12th, 2008 in biology

Anti-aging substance found in bullfrogs: researchers from PhysOrg.com

While it only turns into a handsome prince in fairy tales, the homely bullfrog may harbour a valuable anti-aging substance for humans, South Korean researchers say.

[…]

Well, we knew that frogs had to be good for something besides making big racket on a summer evening and their “tastes like chicken” legs. It turns out that for some reason, there is a water soluble peptide in the skin of the bull frog that has huge anti-oxidant properties. Far beyond red wine in antioxidant properties (active substance is resveratrol, a polyphenol), beyond Alpha-tocopherol or Vitamin E, this substance, being 10% stronger in its antioxidant action than E and water soluble as well, has the potential for being put into everything from soda drinks to SoBe water, maybe as an additive in granola, all to save your life.

So, I guess I have two “I wonders” here. Why is everything in the skin? Skin of the grape, skin of the Frog, skin of the vegetable, skin of fruit? (see for instance doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2004.04.033 and look up anthocyanins while you’re at it)

And second, just how do antioxidant prevent aging or how does free radical oxygen cause aging? Let me add another one just to keep us all on our toes: Now that NSAID’s (Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs) are all of the rage for the latest anti-aging solution, (http://websites.afar.org/site/PageServer?pagename=IA_feat18)   what is the role of inflammation, free radical oxygen in aging and cell death?

First, the why in the skin function: From what I can glean, plants and fruits do not produce the healing antioxidant found in their skin just for our benefit; they produce these agents for their own repair processes. Probably because they don’t have their own immune systems as we know it, not a blood born system of T cell, Leukocytes, Phagocytes and the like.

Instead, they rely on strong chemical antioxidants to do their healing work. The antioxidants scavenge up the free radical oxygen, or singlet oxygen which prevent the singlet from attacking the cell membranes. The cell membranes don’t become rigid, they do heal and remain functioning. (Ironically, the Phagocytes in our system, like macrophages which gobble up and kill bacterial, do it by injecting free radical oxygen into the bugs!)

The answer to the second I wonder is partially answered above, but the question the relationship between inflammation, O (singlet oxygen), aging and death is really interesting. Check Friday and I will try to ’splain it, Lucy.