Aging
Conditions
Brief summary
This research aims to explore the potential benefits of supplementation of a natural ingredient, the Monarda didyma extract, to reduce / delay the biological aging of a susceptible population, thus contributing to two relevant topics in science with important social and economic implications: anti-aging strategies for wellness and healthy aging and environmental sustainability using natural products.
Interventions
Monarda Didyma extract; 100 mg/d. 1capsules/day; daily (1 capsule with the lunch) and plenty of water.
Maltodextrin; 100 mg/d. 1capsules/day; daily (1 capsule with the lunch) and plenty of water.
Sponsors
Study design
Intervention model description
Pilot study; randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, parallel design, monocentric.
Eligibility
Inclusion criteria
* The subject is able and willing to follow the study protocol procedures to sign the Informed Consent Form prior to screening evaluations * Age: 45 - 65
Exclusion criteria
* Relevant history or presence of any medical disorder potentially interfering with this study (heavy depression, diabetes, active cancer, severe liver disease, heavy cardiovascular disease (e.g., stroke, heart attack)) * Chronic intake of medication/dietary supplements with impact on stress levels (psychologically and physiological) * Consumption of any dietary/nutritional supplements or functional foods * Smokers * High caffeine intake \> 5 coffee cups / day * Gastrointestinal diseases/conditions (ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, peptic ulcers, celiac disease) * Drug-, alcohol- and medication abuses * Known HIV-infection * Known acute or chronic hepatitis B and C infection * Known allergies against the mint family (labiate), especially lemon balm (la cedrella, la melissa, la citronella) * Pregnancy, breastfeeding or intention to become pregnant during the study * Participation in another clinical study within the last 4 weeks and concurrent participation in another clinical study * Blood donation within 4 weeks prior to study start (screening) or during the study * Anticipating any planned changes in lifestyle for the duration of the study * Subjects considered inappropriate for the study by investigators, including subjects who are unable or unwilling to show compliance with the protocol
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| DNA methylation age (DNAmAge) | 12 weeks | DNA methylation age (years) |
| Age acceleration (AgeAcc) | 12 weeks | Age acceleration as difference between DNA methylation age and chronological age (years) |
| Leukocyte telomere length (LTL) | 12 weeks | Leukocyte telomere length as ratio (T/S) of number telomere repeat sequences (T) to single-copy gene (S) |
| Mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNAcn) | 12 weeks | Mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNAcn) as ratio (MT/S) of mitochondrial DNA copy number (MT) and the singular copy number of a gene (S) |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| erythrocytes | 12 weeks | erythrocytes (10\^12/L) |
| hemoglobin | 12 weeks | hemoglobin (g/L) |
| hematocrit | 12 weeks | hematocrit (L/L) |
| MCV mean corpuscular volume | 12 weeks | MCV (fL) |
| MCH mean corpuscular hemoglobin | 12 weeks | MCH (pg) |
| MCHC mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration | 12 weeks | MCHC (g/L) |
| platelets | 12 weeks | platelets (10\^9/L) |
| C reactive protein | 12 weeks | C reactive protein - CRP (mg/L) |
| interleukin 6 | 12 weeks | interleukin 6 - IL6 (ng/L) |
| Questionnaire about Quality of Life: World Health Organization's Quality of Life Assessment BREF version (WHOQOL-BREF) | 12 weeks | Domain scores for the WHOQOL-BREF are calculated by taking the mean of all items included in each domain and multiplying by a factor of four. These scores are then transformed to a 0-100 scale, where 100 is the highest and 0 is the lowest QoL. |
| Questionnaire about sleeping patterns: Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) | 12 weeks | The PSQI contains 19 self-reported combined to form seven component scores, each of which has a range of 0 (no difficulty) to 3 (severe difficulty) points. The seven component scores are then added to yield one global score, with a range of 0-21 points, 0 indicating no difficulty and 21 indicating severe difficulties in all areas. |
| Tracking of Hearth Rate using Miband 6 watch | 12 weeks | hearth rate as beats per minute (BPM) |
| Tracking of sleep using Miband 6 watch | 12 weeks | sleep (hours) |
| Tracking of mobility using Miband 6 watch | 12 weeks | mobility (step counts) |
| Telomerase expression (∆∆Ct) | 12 weeks | Telomerase expression as comparative cycle threshold method (∆∆Ct), which compares the difference in cycle threshold values between groups. |
| LDL | 12 weeks | LDL (mg/dl) |
| HDL | 12 weeks | HDL (mg/dl) |
| Triglycerides | 12 weeks | Triglycerides (mg/dl) |
| Glycemia | 12 weeks | Glycemia (mg/dl) |
| Insulin | 12 weeks | Insulin (mcU/ml) |
| HOMA | 12 weeks | HOMA index - homeostasis model assessment |
| AST | 12 weeks | AST (IU/l) aspartate aminotransferase |
| SGPT | 12 weeks | SGPT (IU/l) Serum Glutamic Pyruvic Transaminase |
| GGT | 12 weeks | GGT (U/l) gamma glutamyl transferase |
| Creatinine | 12 weeks | Creatinine (mg/dl) |
| Waist | 12 weeks | Waist circumference (cm) |
| Weight | 12 weeks | Weight (kg) |
| Total cholesterol/HDL | 12 weeks | Total cholesterol/HDL |
| LDL/HDL | 12 weeks | LDL/HDL cholesterol ratio |
| Total cholesterol | 12 weeks | Total cholesterol (mg/dl) |
| Blood pressure | 12 weeks | Blood pressure as systolic blood and diastolic blood pressure (mm Hg) |
| Salivary cortisol | 12 weeks | Salivary cortisol (nmol/L). |
| Leukocytes | 12 weeks | Leukocytes (10\^9/L) |
Countries
Italy