Metabolome Profiling in Aging Studies

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Low-molecular-weight substances are participants in all biochemical processes occurring in the body. Therefore, by measuring them we can obtain new knowledge about aging mechanisms. At the same time, various animals, which are distinguished by different life expectancies, are excellent objects for such studies, and modern science, known as metabolomics, offers efficient methods to measure them, taking into account their huge diversity. This review describes the aging data accumulated today, obtained by such methods in various animal models and humans. ABSTRACT: Organism aging is closely related to systemic metabolic changes. However, due to the multilevel and network nature of metabolic pathways, it is difficult to understand these connections. Today, scientists are trying to solve this problem using one of the main approaches of metabolomics—untargeted metabolome profiling. The purpose of this publication is to review metabolomic studies based on such profiling, both in animal models and in humans. This review describes metabolites that vary significantly across age groups and include carbohydrates, amino acids, carnitines, biogenic amines, and lipids. Metabolic pathways associated with the aging process are also shown, including those associated with amino acid, lipid, and energy metabolism. The presented data reveal the mechanisms of aging and can be used as a basis for monitoring biological age and predicting age-related diseases in the early stages of their development.