Researchers found that S-1-propenyl-L-cysteine, a compound in aged garlic extract, improved muscle function and frailty markers in aged mice and triggered a related biological signal in a small human trial.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
A little-known compound found in aged garlic extract may help protect muscle function during aging by activating a newly identified communication pathway between fat tissue, the brain and muscle, according to research published in Cell Metabolism.
Scientists from the Institute for Research on Productive Aging in Tokyo and Wakunaga Pharmaceutical Co. identified S-1-propenyl-L-cysteine, known as S1PC, as a bioactive compound in aged garlic extract that appeared to support muscle strength in aged mice. The compound improved muscle force, grip strength and frailty scores without increasing muscle size, suggesting that the benefits were tied to muscle quality and function rather than muscle growth.
The findings point to a previously unknown biological route that begins in fat tissue and signals through the brain before affecting muscle. Researchers said the pathway may be important in understanding age-related muscle decline, though they cautioned that more research is needed before determining whether S1PC can produce long-term functional improvements in older adults.
The study found that S1PC activates the LKB1-SIRT1 pathway in white adipose tissue. That process increases secretion of extracellular nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase, or eNAMPT, a protein involved in maintaining NAD+ levels throughout the body.
NAD+ is essential for mitochondrial function, DNA repair and cellular energy production. Levels of NAD+ decline with age, which has made the molecule a major focus of aging research.
The researchers found that eNAMPT released from white adipose tissue did not act directly on skeletal muscle. Instead, it targeted the hypothalamus, a region of the brain involved in metabolism and aging regulation. The brain then communicated with skeletal muscle, forming what researchers described as a fat-to-brain-to-muscle pathway.
As the authors wrote, “eNAMPT secreted from WAT specifically targets the hypothalamus, but not skeletal muscle.”
That discovery was one of the study’s central findings. Rather than simply showing that garlic extract affected muscle tissue directly, the researchers identified an inter-organ signaling system in which a garlic-derived compound influenced fat tissue, which then communicated with the brain and ultimately affected muscle function.
In the mouse portion of the study, aged mice received S1PC treatment for eight months. At the end of the treatment period, the mice showed stronger muscle force, improved grip strength and lower frailty scores than untreated mice.
The treated mice did not develop larger muscles. That distinction matters because age-related muscle decline often involves loss of function as well as loss of size. The study suggests S1PC may improve how muscle performs, even without increasing muscle mass.
Researchers also observed higher levels of proteins involved in energy production within muscle tissue, pointing to improved metabolic function as one possible explanation for the stronger performance.
The study also tested S1PC in combination with nicotinamide mononucleotide, or NMN, another compound studied for its relationship to NAD+ biology. In aged mice, the combination further enhanced eNAMPT secretion. The researchers said testing the same approach in humans “will also be very interesting.”
The human portion of the study was small and limited. It included 40 healthy adults between ages 20 and 49. Participants with healthy body weight and body-fat levels showed an increase in circulating eNAMPT after taking a single 25-milligram tablet of S1PC.
The trial did not measure long-term outcomes such as strength, mobility, frailty or age-related muscle loss. It also tested only an acute dose, meaning researchers cannot yet say whether regular use would improve muscle function in humans.
Dr. Shin-ichiro Imai, chairman of the Institute for Research on Productive Aging, said additional research is needed.
“Further research is needed to determine improvements in muscle function in humans and to evaluate the long-term effects of S1PC,” Imai said.
Wakunaga of America President Ryuichi Sakamoto said the findings could have major implications if future studies confirm benefits in older adults.
“These observations could be a game changer for millions of American seniors, particularly since research consistently links sarcopenia to increased all-cause and cause-specific mortality,” Sakamoto said. “Many see muscle retention as the currency of aging.”
The research comes as aging populations are driving interest in nutraceuticals and other interventions aimed at preserving mobility, strength and independence. McKinsey and Company’s 2025 Future of Wellness survey found that up to 60% of consumers across markets identify healthy aging as a top priority.
The study authors placed S1PC in the broader field of NAD+ research, alongside compounds such as NMN and nicotinamide riboside. They wrote that “developing evidence-based anti-aging interventions is now becoming an urgent goal to deal with worldwide populational aging.”
Dr. Kiyoshi Yoshioka, one of the study’s first authors, said the work was shaped by his experience seeing older adults lose physical ability despite not having a specific disease requiring treatment.
“During my clinical experience as a physical therapist, I was often frustrated to see older adults lose physical function and vitality simply because they had no specific disease requiring medical treatment. This gap in proactive care has driven my research,” Yoshioka said.
The findings do not replace existing strategies for maintaining muscle function. Resistance training, healthy body composition, sufficient protein intake and metabolic health remain the foundation for protecting strength during aging.
Still, the research opens a new line of inquiry into aged garlic extract and S1PC. If future human trials show that the compound can improve strength, mobility or frailty outcomes over time, aged garlic may become part of a larger evidence-based approach to supporting healthy aging.
Source: Natural News
Original article
Comments