Antiaging Effect of 4-N-Furfurylcytosine in Yeast Model Manifests through Enhancement of Mitochondrial Activity and ROS Reduction

Small compounds are a large group of chemicals characterized by various biological properties. Some of them also have antiaging potential, which is mainly attributed to their antioxidant activity. In this study, we examined the antiaging effect of 4-N-Furfurylcytosine (FC), a cytosine derivative belonging to a group of small compounds, on budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We chose this yeast model as it is known to contain multiple conserved genes and mechanisms identical to that of humans and has been proven to be successful in aging research. The chronological lifespan assay performed in the study revealed that FC improved the viability of yeast cells in a concentration-dependent manner. Furthermore, enhanced mitochondrial activity, together with reduced intracellular ROS level, was observed in FC-treated yeast cells. The gene expression analysis confirmed that FC treatment resulted in the restriction of the TORC1 signaling pathway. These results indicate that FC has antiaging properties.