In 2003, the research of David Sinclair and his team from Harvard was greeted with international media fanfare. According to their findings, published in Nature, resveratrol was able to increase the lifespan of yeast cells. The results ignited flames of hope for an anti-ageing pill.
According to Sinclair’s findings, resveratrol could activate a gene called sirtuin1 (Sirt1 – the yeast equivalent was Sir2), which is also activated during calorie restriction in various species, including monkeys.
Working with Christoph Westphal, a scientific entrepreneur, Dr Sinclair founded Sirtris Pharmaceuticals, and the company is currently following a drug route for resveratrol with clinical trials reportedly ongoing for its resveratrol formulation. Sirtris was recently snapped up by GlaxoSmithKline for a whopping $720 million.
However, a paper published recently in the Journal of Biological Chemistry by scientists from Pfizer reported that, according to their study, “[the Sirtris compounds] SRT1720, SRT2183, SRT1460, and resveratrol are not direct activators of SIRT1”.
The results were picked up by various media outlets, such as Forbes.com and also hit the airwaves via the Ronald Hoffman MD show on New York radio. But what are the implications for dietary supplements and functional foods of this very public airing of the apparent failings of resveratrol?
Well, none, say leading players in the resveratrol world. Commenting on the research, Bill Sardi, managing partner of Resveratrol Partners LLC and producer of the Longevinex product said that the Pfizer study should not “take any luster away from resveratrol scientifically”.
Sardi did express some concern over the media’s handling of the science, however, noting: “If this gets greater exposure, the public will likely misunderstand and back away from resveratrol pills, possibly feeling they were persuaded to take these pills by faulty science”.
Sardi questioned the doses used before adding, “lower-doses of resveratrol, particularly in combination with other small molecules, appear to produce the desired effects. This is seen in red wine, with remarkable reduction in cardiac mortality. The goal should be to produce a nutraceutical as close to what is found in red wine solids as possible.”
Garnet Pigden, senior VP of functional foods for DSM, manufacturer of the high purity resveratrol ingredient resVida added that he doubted the results of the Pfizer study would have much impact at all on resveratrol.
Speaking to NutraIngredients, Pigden said that growth in consumer knowledge of the ingredient, which has seen public awareness of resveratrol shoot from 5 to 23 percent within a six-month period, would be “hard to undo”.
“We remain very optimistic about resveratrol,” said Pigden.
DSM’s ingredient is a synthetic resveratrol, said to be 'nature identical'. It comes in two forms: a crystalline form, with 99 percent purity; and a tablet grade form, with a purity of 90 percent.