Effects of Prunus mahaleb (L.) leaf and seed extracts on Saccharomyces cerevisiae’s chronological lifespan and evaluation of phytochemical content

The evaluation of yeast ageing is carried out by measuring its replicative or chronological lifespan. Replicative lifespan is the number of daughter cells produced by the mother cell before it dies, whereas chronological lifespan is the length of time a non-dividing yeast cell survives. Plant-derived natural products have gained importance in terms of extending lifespan and healthy ageing due to the bioactive phytochemicals they contain. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of mahaleb leaf and seed extracts on the chronological lifespan of yeast cells using two different lifespan approaches and to compare these effects with those of willow bark extracts. The potential active compounds in plant extracts were determined with the GC-MS. All extracts from mahaleb leaf and seed enhanced yeast cells’ chronological lifespans. It is noteworthy that acetone and water extracts from leaves and seeds extend the lifespan considerably more than willow extracts. Potential compounds that may affect the lifespan of yeast cells include coumarin and its derivatives found in hexane, acetone, and methanol extracts of leaves and seeds; squalene present in hexane extracts of seeds; phytol found in hexane extracts of leaves; and octadecenamide present in water extracts of leaves and seeds of mahaleb.