Arbutin increases Caenorhabditis elegans longevity and stress resistance

Arbutin (p-hydroxyphenyl-β-D-glucopyranoside), a well-known tyrosinase inhibitor, has been widely used as a cosmetic whitening agent. Although its natural role is to scavenge free radicals within cells, it has also exhibited useful activities for the treatment of diuresis, bacterial infections and cancer, as well as anti-inflammatory and anti-tussive activities. Because function of free radical scavenge is also related to antioxidant and the effects of arbutin on longevity and stress resistance in animals have not yet been confirmed, here the effects of arbutin on Caenorhabditis elegans were investigated. The results demonstrated that optimal doses of arbutin can extend lifespan and enhance resistance to oxidative stress. The underlying molecular mechanism for these effects involves decreased level of reactive oxygen species (ROS), improvement of daf-16 nuclear localization, and upregulation of expression of daf-16 and its downstream targets, including sod-3 and hsp16.2. In this work the roles of arbutin in lifespan and health are studied and the results support the use of arbutin as an antioxidant for maintaining overall health.