Metabolomics study of the therapeutic mechanism of Schisandra chinensis lignans on aging rats induced by D-galactose

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the antiaging effect of Schisandra chinensis lignans (SCL) by analyzing the characteristics in the serum of D-galactose (D-gal)-induced rats. Methods: Forty male Wistar rats were randomly divided into control group, D-gal model group, low-dose SCL group (50 mg/kg/d), medium-dose SCL group (100 mg/kg/d), and high-dose SCL group (200 mg/kg/d). A serum metabolomics analysis method based on rapid resolution liquid chromatography coupled with quadruple-time-of-flight mass spectrometry was carried out to study the characteristics of D-gal-induced aging rats and evaluate the antiaging effects of SCL, and multivariate statistical analysis was performed for pattern recognition and characteristic metabolites identification. The relative levels of p19, p53, and p21 genes in the brain tissue were measured by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction for investigating the underlying mechanism. Results: Metabolomics analysis showed that 15 biomarkers were identified and 13 of them recovered to the normal levels after the administration of SCL. Based on the pathway analysis, the antiaging mechanisms of SCL might be involved in the following metabolic pathways: energy, amino acid, lipid, and phospholipid metabolism. Furthermore, SCL significantly inhibited the mRNA expression level of p19, p53, and p21 in the brain of aging rats induced by D-gal. Conclusion: These results suggest that SCL can delay rat aging induced by D-gal through multiple pathways.