Anti-aging traditional Chinese medicine: potential mechanisms involving AMPK pathway and calorie restriction based on “medicine-food homology” theory

There have been many reports about the anti-aging effect of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), but the material basis and mechanism of action have not been clearly elucidated. AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is the receptor of energy metabolism and its life extending effect has been confirmed in different experiments. Over expression or activation with metform in of AAK-2/AMPK has been shown to extend life expectancy in nematodes and Drosophila. The possible downstream pathways of AMPK against aging include TOR/S6k pathway, FOXOs pathway and CRTC pathway. One of the core concepts of traditional Chinese medicine is disease prevention, for which one of manifestations is to improve the body with the same source of medicine and food to achieve longevity. It is possible to activate AMPK to achieve the goal of health preservation and prolonging the life by some of the "medicine-food harmony" treatments. Our survey finds that in "medicine-food harmony" compound TCM, "invigorating the kidney deficiency and promoting blood circulation" class dominates and Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix Rhizoma, Astragali Radix, Coptidis Rhizoma, Poria, Atractylodes Macrocephalae Rhizoma, Radix et Rhizoma Rhei, and Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma are used in high frequency. Network pharmacology analysis using ingenuity pathway analysis (IPA) software revealed that TCM-derived drugs interacting with AMPK target proteins included berberine, emodin, curcumin, resveratrol, alcohol, cordyceps, arctiin, suggesting in a certain extent the feasibility of "medicine -food homology" drugs to extend the lifespan through the AMPK pathway. Our study combines a comprehensive database query and an IPA network pharmacology analysis to identify Chinese medicine monomer and components that may activate AMPK pathway to delay aging and to discuss the potential of these medicine by improving energy metabolism to delay the aging process, based on the concept of traditional Chinese medicine "medicine-food homology".