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Pt4.0
Pterostilbene Research
Mostly mechanism / observational
55 peer-reviewed studies
What the evidence says
Mostly mechanism / observational
Most Pterostilbene studies are mechanism or observational rather than RCTs that measure a clinical effect — keep findings provisional.
Most evidence is from high-quality randomised trials published 2005–2026 with a typical study size of 60 participants.
Based on 55 studies · 8 RCTs · 368 total participants
Confidence
Moderate confidence
By outcome
Longevity & aging
Mostly mechanism / observational33 studies
InflammationAnti-inflammatory effects are shown in the lab only. In healthy volunteers it did not lower PGE2 · 4-8 weeks
In plain English: We evaluated the toxic effects of natural products and summarized the available clinical trials on NAD+ metabolism, as well as the recent advances in the therapeutic application of natural products targeting NAD+ metabolism, with the aim to provide new insights into the treatment of multiple disorders.
Guo C et al. · Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology (2023)
Review of natural products that act on NAD+ metabolism in cell and animal models and clinical trials. Pterostilbene is one of about 40 compounds listed.
These natural products have antioxidant, energy-producing, anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic and anti-aging effects, which mainly influence the NAMPT/NAD+/SIRT, AMPK/SIRT1/PGC-1α, Nrf2/HO-1, PKCs/PARPs/NF-κB, and AMPK/Nrf2/mTOR signaling pathways, thereby regulating NAD+ metabolism to prevent and treat various diseases.
These natural products have been shown to be safe, tolerable and have fewer adverse effects in various in vivo and in vitro studies and clinical trials.
In plain English: However, optimal dose, duration, mechanism, long-term safety, side effects, combination, elucidation of genomic interactions, and lifestyle modifications should be considered.
Özyalçın B et al. · Critical reviews in food science and nutrition (2024)
Stilbenes are products of the plant phenylpropanoid pathway.
Very important mechanisms for the anti-obesity impact belonging to resveratrol as well as pterostilbene include thermogenic activation in brown adipose tissue alongside the browning of white adipose tissue.
Considering nutrition and dietary habits, which have an important place in lifestyle changes for both the prevention and the treatment of obesity, pterostilbene and resveratrol, which are polyphenols and stilbenes, are seen as promising.
The anti-ageing mechanisms of resveratrol and its analogues are complex and multifactorial, involving suppressing oxidative stress, ameliorating inflammation, activating SIRT1 pathway, reducing DNA damage, etc.
In this chapter, the anti-ageing effects of resveratrol and its analogues are summarised with special attention paid to the underlying mechanisms.
Further understanding of these small molecules could provide the necessary scientific basis for their development into anti-ageing agents.
Review of animal and laboratory studies of pterostilbene in fibrosis. No human trial is described.
Emerging evidence has indicated that PTS can alleviate myocardial fibrosis, renal fibrosis, pulmonary fibrosis, hepatic fibrosis, and colon fibrosis via the inhibition of inflammation, oxidative stress, and fibrogenesis effects in vivo and in vitro.
In this review, we comprehensively summarize the antifibrotic effects of PTS both in vivo and in vitro and the pharmacological mechanisms, pharmacokinetics, and toxicology of PTS and provide insights into and strategies for exploring promising agents for the treatment of fibrosis.
In plain English: Supplementation with these compounds is safe, tolerable, and can increase the abundance of NAD+ and related metabolites in multiple tissues.
Freeberg KA et al. · The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences (2023)
Review of chronic oral NAD+ precursor supplementation in humans. Nicotinamide riboside given with pterostilbene was one of the three most studied options.
Supplementation with these compounds is safe, tolerable, and can increase the abundance of NAD+ and related metabolites in multiple tissues.
The clinical evidence that raising NAD+ concentrations can improve physiological function is unclear.
7Vascular endothelial cell protection from oxidative stressReviewCited 713×2021
In plain English: Our present paper provides updated information of natural agents with protective activities on ECs against oxidative stress by activating Nrf2/HO-1.
Zhang Q et al. · Journal of advanced research (2021)
Narrative review of natural compounds that protect blood-vessel lining cells from oxidative stress, mainly phenylpropanoids, flavonoids, terpenoids and alkaloids.
Most of these agents reduced endothelial cell death from oxidative stress through Nrf2/HO-1 signalling.
The authors say more detailed preclinical and clinical studies are needed before drugs for atherosclerosis can be developed from them.
In plain English: Although the efficacy of both compounds in humans requires further investigation with respect to their oral bioavailability, promising scientific findings have highlighted their potential as candidates for the treatment of obesity and the improvement of obesity-related metabolic diseases.
Pan MH et al. · BioFactors (Oxford, England) (2018)
Resveratrol and pterostilbene are well-known stilbenes that provide various potential benefits to human health.
In particular, their potential anti-obesity effects have been proven in numerous cell culture and animal studies.
Both compounds act to regulate energy intake, adipocyte life cycle and function, white adipose tissue (WAT) inflammation, energy expenditure, and gut microbiota by targeting multiple molecules and signaling pathways as an intervention for obesity.
In plain English: For example, in vitro studies suggest that L-carnitine and pterostilbene, a blueberry component may reduce oxidative stress, and in animal studies, alpha-lipoic acid (ALP) and selenoprotein P may b...
Seen S et al. · Acta ophthalmologica (2018)
For example, in vitro studies suggest that L-carnitine and pterostilbene, a blueberry component may reduce oxidative stress, and in animal studies, alpha-lipoic acid (ALP) and selenoprotein P may be helpful.
Examples of treatments used in clinical trials include vitamin B12 eyedrops and iodide iontophoresis.
With recent emphasis on ageing medicine and preventive holistic health, as well as the role of environmental science, research on oxidative stress in the ocular surface is likely to have increasing impact in the coming years.
In plain English: Moreover, pterostilbene exhibits much greater bioavailability and bioactivity than resveratrol which warrants further investigation in the anti-cancer functions and mechanisms. .
Zhang X et al. · Zhongguo fei ai za zhi = Chinese journal of lung cancer (2018)
Pterostilbene (3,5-dimethoxy-4'-hydroxystilbene) is a polyphenolic compound primarily found in blueberries, grapes, and a tree wood, pterocarpus marsupium.
Studies demonstrate that pterostilbene inhibits a variety of cancers, such as lung, breast, stomach, colon, etc.
The anti-cancer activities are related to the regulation of several hallmarks of cancer.
11Metabolic effects of PterostilbeneReviewCited 77×2020
In plain English: Pterostilbene has been shown to reduce weight gain, liver fat, plasma cholesterol, adiposity, inflammatory biomarkers, blood glucose, and other physiological characteristics of metabolic diseases in animal models.
Kim H et al. · Journal of agricultural and food chemistry (2020)
Review of the pterostilbene research of Dr. Agnes Rimando of the United States Department of Agriculture and her collaborators.
Pterostilbene has been shown to reduce weight gain, liver fat, plasma cholesterol, adiposity, inflammatory biomarkers, blood glucose, and other physiological characteristics of metabolic diseases in animal models.
Studies on pterostilbene suggest that it may improve risk factors associated with diabetes, cardiovascular disease, fatty liver diseases, Alzheimer's disease, and other neurodegenerative diseases.
In plain English: In this review, we summarize the current knowledge on the role of resveratrol and pterostilbene in improving brain health during aging, with specific focus on antioxidant and anti-inflammatory signaling and behavioral outcomes.
Poulose SM et al. · Neurochemistry international (2015)
Because approximately 25% of the world population is expected to be older than age 65 by 2050, and no treatments exist to halt or reverse ongoing neurodegeneration, the need for effective prevention strategies is more pressing that ever before.
A growing body of research supports the role of diet in healthy aging, particularly diets rich in bioactive phytochemical compounds.
Recently, stilbenes such as resveratrol (3, 5, 4'-trans-trihydroxystilbene) and its analogue, pterostilbene, have gained a significant amount of attention for their potent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticarcinogenic properties.
In plain English: Based on present evidences we conclude that pterostilbene is an active phytonutrient and also a potential drug with multiple biomedical applications.
Estrela JM et al. · Critical reviews in clinical laboratory sciences (2013)
Safety and toxicity, as well as recommendations for future research and biomedical uses, are discussed.
This review includes comparisons between pterostilbene and other polyphenols, with particular emphasis on resveratrol.
Potential benefits of using combinations of different polyphenols are considered.
15Antioxidant capacity induction in cancer cell linesReviewCited 148×2012
In plain English: Pterostilbene has also been shown to be effective as an inducer of antioxidant capacity in multiple cancer cell lines that may facilitate its function as an anticarcinogenic compound.
McCormack D et al. · The Journal of surgical research (2012)
In vitro models have shown that pterostilbene inhibits cancer growth through alteration of the cell cycle, induction of apoptosis, and inhibition of metastasis. In vivo, pterostilbene inhibits tumorigenesis and metastasis with negligible toxicity.
Pterostilbene has also been shown to be effective as an inducer of antioxidant capacity in multiple cancer cell lines that may facilitate its function as an anticarcinogenic compound.
Additionally, preliminary studies show that pterostilbene exhibits much greater bioavailability compared with other stilbene compounds; however the exact pharmacologic mechanism of pterostilbene and its effects in humans are still under investigation.
In plain English: Overall, we describe resveratrol and pterostilbene potential for prevention or treatment of several age-related diseases by modulating age-related mechanisms.
Li YR et al. · BioFactors (Oxford, England) (2018)
In this review, we discuss the relationship between resveratrol and pterostilbene and possible aging biomarker, including oxidative stress, inflammation, and high-calorie diets.
Moreover, we also discuss the positive effect of resveratrol and pterostilbene on lifespan, aged-related disease, and health maintenance.
Furthermore, we summarize a variety of important mechanisms modulated by resveratrol and pterostilbene possibly involved in attenuating age-associated disorders.
17Gut microbiota modulation for cardiovascular diseaseReviewCited 30×2019
In plain English: Herbal medicine (HM) plays a role in modulating gut microbiota and is widely used in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and its associated conditions, such as diabetes, ob...
Anlu W et al. · Pharmacological research (2019)
Herbal medicine (HM) plays a role in modulating gut microbiota and is widely used in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and its associated conditions, such as diabetes, obesity, and hyperlipidemia.
In this review, we focus on the relationship between the microbiota-metabolism-immunity (MMI) axis and CVD (including its risk factors) and the beneficial effects of HM to regulate this crosstalk.
The insights may redefine our understanding of how HM works and spark a revolution in HM-based drug discovery.
In plain English: However, there is a rigorous debate about the real effect of these compounds on human health.
Dvorakova M et al. · Pharmacological research (2017)
Resveratrol and other natural stilbenoids, including piceatannol, pterostilbene, and gnetol, are well-known anti-inflammatory compounds with indisputable activity in vitro as well as in vivo.
However, there is a rigorous debate about the real effect of these compounds on human health.
It is argued that the concentration of stilbenoids in food and beverages is too low to have any therapeutic potential and this concentration is further reduced by their low bioavailability and extensive metabolism.
In plain English: Therefore, further research is warranted to evaluate the salutary effects of various stilbenoids.
Akinwumi BC et al. · International journal of molecular sciences (2018)
Although positive results were obtained in most cell culture and animal studies, further human studies are needed to substantiate beneficial effects of stilbenoids.
Resveratrol remains the most widely studied stilbenoid.
However, there is limited information regarding the potential of less common stilbenoids.
In plain English: Recently, stilbenes have attracted extensive attention and interest due to their wide range of health-beneficial effects such as anti-inflammation, -carcinogenic, -diabetes, and -dyslipidemia activ...
Tsai HY et al. · Journal of food and drug analysis (2017)
Recently, stilbenes have attracted extensive attention and interest due to their wide range of health-beneficial effects such as anti-inflammation, -carcinogenic, -diabetes, and -dyslipidemia activities.
Moreover, accumulating in vitro and in vivo studies have reported that stilbene compounds act as inducers of multiple cell-death pathways such as apoptosis, cell cycle arrest, and autophagy for chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic agents in several types of cancer cells.
The aim of this review is to highlight recent molecular findings and biological actions of trans-resveratrol, pterostilbene, and 3'-hydroxypterostilbene.