A natural compound found in apples may prevent muscle deterioration that can result from aging and disease, according to results of a study with mice. The benefit seems to come from a compound in apple skin called ursolic acid, according to Dr. Christopher Adams of the University of Iowa in Iowa City, and colleagues.
First, Adams and colleagues identified 63 genes that change in response to fasting in both humans and mice, and 29 others that change their expression in muscles of both people who are fasting and in those suffering from spinal cord injuries. So, small molecules observed 1.300 and focused on ursolic acid as a compound that could counteract muscle atrophy.
In the next phase, the researchers found that ursolic acid could protect against muscle wasting in mice that were deprived of food. They also found that ursolic acid is added to food for several weeks normal mice caused muscle growth. In addition, mice that received ursolic acid were thinner and had lower levels of glucose, cholesterol and triglycerides, the researchers found.
The health benefits noted in the mice due to increased insulin signaling in muscle, and gene correction in the signals associated with muscle atrophy, the researchers said. “Ursolic acid is a natural compound interest,” said Adams in a news release from the journal. “It’s part of the normal diet as a component of the skin of apples. It has been said that eating an apple a day keeps going to the doctor. People who eat junk food just do not understand.”
However, it is unclear whether the findings in mice were confirmed in human trials, or if the amount of ursolic acid consumed as part of a normal diet may protect against damage to muscle deterioration. The findings, published in the June issue of the journal Cell Metabolism, could lead to new drug development, if confirmed in humans, the study authors suggested.
“The muscle damage is frequent companion of disease and aging,” said Adams. “It prolongs hospitalization, delayed recovery, and in some cases can prevent people from returning home. Not fully understood, and there are no drugs that protect against it.”
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