Abstract

Age-related increases in cellular damage and death have been associated with oxidative stress. Mitochondrial biogenesis is likely to be involved in the regulation of cell metabolism and signal transduction. In addition, there is a growing body of evidence suggesting that mitochondrial biogenesis is a key regulator of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS). Our results demonstrate that Pinus koraiensis leaf (PKL) extract reduces oxidative stress and, at the same time, stimulates the proliferation of mitochondria through a peroxisome proliferation-activated receptor coactivator 1α (PGC-1α) signaling pathway. The effects of PKLs were associated with the induction of genes associated with oxidative phosphorylation and mitochondrial biogenesis pathways, and were largely explained by PKL-mediated decrease in PGC-1α acetylation and an increase in PGC-1α activity. PKL extracts induced a PGC-1α dependent pathway in mitochondria capable of efficient and balanced bioenergetics to reduce oxidative stress and attenuate endogenous oxidative damage.

Key words: Pinus koraiensis, mitochondrial biogenesis, reactive oxygen species (ROS), peroxisome proliferation-activated receptor coactivator 1α (PGC-1α).