Kensuke Ohishi, PhD, and Ryo Hotta, MD, PhD, from the Department of Pediatric Surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital, are first and corresponding authors of a new study in the journal Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine, Effects of Aged Garlic Extract on Aging-Related Changes in Gastrointestinal Function and Enteric Nervous System Cells.
Here are five things to know about the study:
Aging is a major risk factor for various diseases and disorders and leads to a decline in the biological functions of multiple organs, including the digestive tract.
Dysmotility of the gastrointestinal tract—a dysfunction of the muscles and nerves of the digestive system that leads to the slow or irregular movement of food and waste—is commonly seen in elderly individuals, where it can cause significant health effects and can lead to more severe conditions, including sarcopenia (muscle loss) and frailty.
Aging-related GI dysmotility is more common in females due to various factors, including hormonal changes.
Ryo Hotta, MD, PhD
Aged garlic extract (AGE) is a unique, odorless garlic product produced by aging garlic in a water-ethanol process for more than 10 months.
In previous studies, AGE has been shown to reduce blood cholesterol and promote antioxidant protection in cells. It has also been found to have neuroprotective properties. AGE has been shown to have several beneficial effects in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract; however, it is not known whether it can improve GI motility in lab models of aging.
To study the effects of AGE on an older digestive tract, the researchers gave an AGE-formulated diet to 18-month-old female mice for two weeks.
Prior to receiving the AGE, the older mice had less efficient digestive systems, with delayed gut transit and fecal bead expulsion time, as well as reduced fecal volume and water content compared to younger mice.
The researchers also observed significantly increased oxidative stress and reductions in the proliferative capabilities of stem cells in the enteric nervous system (ENS), a network of neurons in the digestive tract responsible for digestive function.
A two-week diet that included AGE provided several digestive benefits to the older female mice, including improved colorectal motility and increased smooth muscle relaxation in the colon.
The researchers found that ENS cells isolated from the intestines of mice after the AGE diet had increased proliferative ability and reduced signs of oxidative stress.
While more research is needed, the findings suggest that AGE could be used to develop new dietary therapeutics to relieve aging-related GI dysmotility in humans.
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