Journal of Functional Foods · Oct 8, 2026
MAPK suppression is associated with the anti-aging effects of Ginkgo albumin-enriched fraction in cardiomyocytes and C. elegans
By Xiaoxuan Z, Ren Y, Du Y et al.
Ginkgo biloba L. seeds (GBS) are a traditional medicinal and edible resource, rich in bioactive proteins and peptides with demonstrated antioxidant potential, positioning them as promising candidates for anti-aging interventions. However, the active components and their precise mechanisms remain unclear. This study first compared the in vitro antioxidant and anti-aging activities of different protein fractions from GBS. Ginkgo biloba seed albumin-enriched fraction (GAF) showed superior efficacy, significantly scavenging free radicals and mitigating H 2 O 2 -induced senescence-like phenotypes in H9c2 cardiomyocytes by reducing SA-β-gal activity, lipofuscin, and intracellular ROS. Integrated transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses in H9c2 cells revealed that GAF's protective effect is closely associated with the modulation of the MAPK signaling pathway and the reprogramming of key metabolic pathways, with pyrimidine metabolism identified as the most crucial one for counteracting peroxide-induced injury. Furthermore, GAF directly extended lifespan and enhanced stress resistance in Caenorhabditis elegans , alleviating oxidative damage by boosting antioxidant enzyme (SOD, GSH-Px) activities and reducing ROS accumulation. In C. elegans , GAF treatment was accompanied by changes in the expression of genes associated with MAPK signaling (mpk-1, pmk-1), pyrimidine metabolism (pyr-1), and stress responses (daf-16, skn-1, hsf-1, sod-3, gst-4, hsp-16.2, etc. ). In conclusion, GAF emerges as a potent anti-aging agent, acting through coordinated modulation of the MAPK signaling pathway, pyrimidine metabolism, and evolutionarily conserved insulin/IGF-1(IIS) and stress-response pathways.