Additional Health Benefits Identified in Berry Pigment
Additional Health Benefits Identified in Berry Pigment
Berries, known to contain many nutrients, are consumed as part of a healthy diet. The color of berries is due to natural pigments called anthocyanins, a type of flavonoid. The pigments can be blue, red or purple and may provide important health benefits including protection against cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and obesity. Sirtuins are enzymes that regulate key cellular signaling pathways. Aging and environmental factors may change sirtuin function and contribute to disease. Flavonoids have been shown to increase the function of sirtuin enzymatic activity in cancer cells and promote the expression of tumor suppressor genes. This could lead to the development of new cancer treatments and other age-related diseases.
In a new study, cyanidin increased SIRT6 and FoXO3 levels in human colorectal cancer cells. Researchers designed a computer based model to predict how different flavonoids can regulate SIRT6. The data suggests that anthocyanins increase the activation of SIRT6, which plays an important role in controlling glucose and lipid metabolism and regulating the expression of multiple glycolytic and lipid genes involved in cellular response. Additional roles have been identified in cancer pathogenesis. These diverse functions of SIRT6 highlight its importance in aging and protecting many cellular functions. New treatments could be developed to target epigenetic regulators of gene function against cancer genes and cell growth.
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