Senotherapeutic potential of Mediterranean diet-derived bioac-tives in healthy aging and frailty
Aging Pathobiology and Therapeutics, vol.8, no.2, pp.137-150, 2026 (Scopus)
- Publication Type: Article / Review
- Volume: 8 Issue: 2
- Publication Date: 2026
- Doi Number: 10.31491/apt.2026.06.218
- Journal Name: Aging Pathobiology and Therapeutics
- Journal Indexes: Scopus
- Page Numbers: pp.137-150
- Keywords: frailty, healthy aging, inflammaging, Mediterranean diet, senotherapeutics
- Bursa Uludag University Affiliated: Yes
Abstract
Population aging is accompanied by an increasing burden of frailty, sarcopenia, metabolic dysfunction, neu-rodegeneration, and other age-related conditions. Growing evidence suggests that nutrition may influence biological aging through pathways related to cellular senescence, chronic low-grade inflammation, oxidative stress, mitochondrial function, and gut microbiota composition. The Mediterranean diet is one of the most ex-tensively studied dietary patterns for healthy aging and provides a complex matrix of plant foods, extra-virgin olive oil, fiber, unsaturated fatty acids, and diverse bioactive compounds. This review discusses the potential relevance of Mediterranean diet-derived bioactives to senescence-related mechanisms and frailty-related outcomes. Mechanistic links involving inflammatory signaling, redox balance, nutrient-sensing pathways, mi-tochondrial homeostasis, gut microbiota-mediated immune regulation, and functional decline are considered. Although preclinical evidence supports the biological plausibility of these effects, human evidence remains het-erogeneous, and direct clinical proof of senolytic or senomorphic activity from habitual Mediterranean diet ex-posure is still limited. Therefore, Mediterranean diet-derived bioactives should be interpreted as components of a multi-target nutritional strategy rather than as isolated anti-aging agents. Future studies should integrate dietary assessment, biomarkers of cellular senescence, microbiome and metabolome profiling, inflammatory markers, and standardized functional outcomes to clarify whether Mediterranean diet-based approaches can delay frailty and promote healthy longevity through senescence-related mechanisms.