Supplements of resveratrol may improve energy metabolism, cell signaling pathways, and neurotransmission in monkeys eating a high sugar and fat Western diet, says a new study. Scientists in Kentucky included 23 adult male monkeys randomly assigned to: a control group fed a healthy diet; a negative control group fed a diet high in fat and sugar; and a high fat/sugar group with resveratrol. The scientists discuss the modifications in the levels of 12 specific proteins involved in various cellular systems including metabolism, neurotransmission, structural integrity, and general cellular signaling following a nutritional intervention. Our results contribute to a better understanding of the mechanisms by which resveratrol functions through the up- or down-regulation of proteins in different cellular sub-systems to affect the overall health of the brain.
“Using proteomics ,we have identified a number of proteins with differential expression in the parietal lobule of adult make rhesus monkeys fed [the experimental] diets over a duration of two years. Our findings suggest potential improvements in energy metabolism, efficiency of canonical cell signaling pathways, and neurotransmission with [resveratrol] supplementation to a [high fat and sugar] diet. Our studies contribute to the understanding of the changes occurring in the proteome of the dietary-impaired parietal lobule of non-human primates given resveratrol supplementation. While it has been shown in other studies that resveratrol addition to a normal diet may not provide significant benefits to healthy individuals, it has been observed that resveratrol does lead to marked improvement in individuals already exhibiting signs of metabolic syndrome.