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Scientists from University of Iowa found two natural compounds one found in apples and one in green tomatoes, which reduce the protein's activity in aged muscle. The protein called ATF4 alters gene expression in skeletal muscle, causing reduction of muscle protein synthesis, strength and mass.
Ursolic acid, which is found in apple peel, and tomatidine, which comes from green tomatoes, prevent acute muscle wasting caused by starvation and inactivity. The findings are published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry.
"Ursolic acid and tomatidine appear to have a lot of potential as tools for dealing with muscle weakness and atrophy during aging," said Christopher Adams, professor of internal medicine and senior study author.
In the latest study, Adams' team found that ursolic acid and tomatidine dramatically reduce age-related muscle weakness and atrophy in mice. The scientists found that both compounds increased muscle mass by 10 percent, and more importantly, increased muscle quality or strength by 30 percent.
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