Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40864327›Full record

ArticleBiogerontology2025

Zuogui and Yougui pills extend lifespan and improve ageing biomarkers via kaempferol-mediated mitophagy in Caenorhabditis elegans.

Wendi Chen, Shuang Liu, Guoqiang Xu, Xin Liu, Yuxuan Shi, Guolong Wang, Yunna Ning, Zhiming Lu, Yongzhi Cao, Yueran Zhao

Abstract read
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Biogerontology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Wendi ChenInstitute of Women, Children and Reproductive Health, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, Shandong, China.
Shuang LiuInstitute of Women, Children and Reproductive Health, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, Shandong, China.
Guoqiang XuInstitute of Women, Children and Reproductive Health, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, Shandong, China.
Xin LiuInstitute of Women, Children and Reproductive Health, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, Shandong, China.
Yuxuan ShiInstitute of Women, Children and Reproductive Health, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, Shandong, China.
Guolong WangInstitute of Women, Children and Reproductive Health, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, Shandong, China.
Yunna NingInstitute of Women, Children and Reproductive Health, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, Shandong, China.
Zhiming LuShandong Provincial Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, 250021, Shandong, China. luzhiming@sdu.edu.cn.ORCID 0000-0003-1228-5739
Yongzhi CaoInstitute of Women, Children and Reproductive Health, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, Shandong, China. yz_cao@163.com.
Yueran ZhaoInstitute of Women, Children and Reproductive Health, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, Shandong, China. yrzhao@sdu.edu.cn.ORCID 0000-0002-2218-4918

Funding

National Key Research and Development Program of China 2022YFC2702905
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Zuogui pill (ZGP) and Yougui pill (YGP) are classical kidney-tonifying formulas in Traditional Chinese Medicine, widely used clinically but with their potential to delay ageing and improve ageing biomarkers remaining unclear. This study combined network pharmacology and Caenorhabditis elegans models to investigate the anti-ageing effects and mechanisms of ZGP and YGP. Both formulas significantly extended lifespan (ZGP dose-dependently at 5-20 mg/mL; YGP at 20 mg/mL) and improved ageing biomarkers, as evidenced by enhanced motility, reduced lipofuscin accumulation and endogenous ROS levels, and increased resistance to heat and oxidative stress. Network analysis identified quercetin and kaempferol as the top-ranked shared active components. Subsequent experimental validation demonstrated that kaempferol (0.05-0.2 mM) replicated these pro-longevity effects and was shown to act by inducing mitophagy: it triggered an initial decrease followed by a long-term increase in mitochondrial content, concomitant with upregulated expression of mitophagy genes. Crucially, the lifespan-extending effects of kaempferol, ZGP, and YGP were completely abolished in bec-1 and pink-1 null mutants. This study establishes that ZGP and YGP delay ageing and improve ageing biomarkers in C. elegans by activating BEC-1/PINK-1-dependent mitophagy. Kaempferol was identified as a major active component mediating this effect, highlighting a key mechanism for the pro-longevity properties of these traditional formulas.

Indexed as

AgingCaenorhabditis elegansDrugs, Chinese HerbalKaempferolsLongevityMitophagyAnimalsBiomarkersCaenorhabditis elegans ProteinsOxidative StressBiomarkersCaenorhabditis elegans ProteinsDrugs, Chinese HerbalkaempferolKaempferolsC. elegansKaempferolLifespanMitophagyYougui pillZuogui pill

Identifiers

PMID40864327

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.