Project Details
Projekt
Ecdysteroids in Postmenopausal Women– Health Effects and Metabolism
Subject Area
Nutritional Sciences
Food Chemistry
Food Chemistry
Term
since 2022
Project identifier
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 512576039
Ecdysteroids are polar, polyhydroxy steroids that are also present in various plants such as spinach. The most abundant ecdysteroid in spinach is ecdysterone. A variety of studies showed that ecdysterone affects carbohydrate and fat metabolism and results in an increase in protein biosynthesis.Own investigations demonstrated binding of ecdysterone to the estrogen receptor beta as a relevant mechanism to activate these metabolic pathways. We also detected an anabolic and performance-enhancing activity of ecdysterone in a human intervention study and developed detection methods for blood and urine and study its metabolism. Based on these research activities the World Anti-Doping Agency has classified ecdysterone as a potential performance enhancing substance and included it on the so-called monitoring list to detect patterns of misuse in sports in 2020. Also in women during and after menopause, muscle mass and performance play a crucial role. The decrease in estrogen serum concentrations is associated with a decreased activity of carbohydrate, protein, bone, and fat metabolism resulting in an increased risk to develop cardiovascular diseases, obesity, sarcopenia, osteoporosis, and diabetes type 2. The main research questions addressed in the first three years of this project application are:•How does an administration of ecdysterone in combination with training affect energy metabolism, cardiovascular and metabolic risk, physical performance, and body composition in postmenopausal women?•What is the anabolic potency of ecdysterone metabolites and other ecdysteroids?•Which are the molecular mechanisms of ecdysteroids and metabolites? •Is the excretion profile of endogenous steroids influenced by an administration of ecdysterone in postmenopausal women?•How is ecdysterone eliminated and are there sex or age-related differences?•How is the hypothesized 14-desoxygenation, known from ecdysterone administration in young men, achieved during body passage following an oral administration of ecdysterone?•Is an ecdysterone-rich diet able to supply ecdysterone in suitable amounts to support training effects?•Is there a relevant difference in the bioavailability of ecdysterone dependent on the source of administration? •Do metabolite(s) and other ecdysteroids potentially present in plants significantly contribute to the anabolic activities of the diet of German population?Therefore, the effects of an ecdysterone supplementation in combination with exercise in postmenopausal women will be investigated in a four-arm double-blind study in a crossover design over a period of three months. Also, excretion studies in humans and cell culture experiments will be performed. This study may provide insights for risk assessment of the concept of combining nutritional uptake of ecdysteroids with training may serve as a potential prevention strategy for the development of cardiovascular disease, sarcopenia, osteoporosis, or diabetes in postmenopausal women.
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