Inhibitory effects of quercetagetin 3,4′-dimethyl ether purified from Inula japonica on cellular senescence in human umbilical vein endothelial cells

Cellular senescence contributes to tissue and organismal aging, tumor suppression and progress, tissue repair and regeneration, and age-related diseases. Thus, aging intervention might be beneficial for treatment and prevention of diverse age-related diseases. In the present study, we investigated whether four compounds purified from Inula japonica exert inhibitory activity against cellular senescence induced by adriamycin in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Among them, compound 4 (quercetagetin 3,4′-dimethyl ether) showed inhibitory activity against cellular senescence, which was confirmed by senescence-associated β-galactosidase (SA-β-gal) activity, p53 and p21 protein levels, and intracellular ROS levels. Compound 4 also reduced SA-β-gal activity in HUVECs under replicative senescence. These results suggest that compound 4 represses cellular senescence in HUVECs and might be useful for the development of dietary supplements or cosmetics that alleviate tissue aging or age-related diseases.