Total flavonoids of litchi seed attenuates cellular senescence by inhibiting the production of SASP through p65 suppression and ameliorates pulmonary fibrosis

Anti-aging foods not only benefit elderly individuals but also drive the development of safe and effective natural drugs. Here, we report that the addition of total flavonoids of litchi seed (TFL) delays replicative senescence(definition) and stress-induced senescence. TFL alleviates the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) and reduces the degree of DNA damage caused by bleomycin (BLM). TFL also counteracts stress-induced pulmonary senescence and fibrosis. TFL reduces the protein level of p21 in mouse lung and alleviates pulmonary fibrosis. Transcriptome profiling further reveals that TFL plays a key role in its anti-aging mechanism by inhibiting the SASP. Mechanistically, TFL suppresses p65 protein expression, thereby inhibiting IL-1α and IL-1β and delaying cellular senescence. Gut microbiome analysis reveals that the abundance and functions of the mouse gut microbiome change after BLM exposure and that TFL treatment reverses these changes. Overall, we provide a theoretical basis for the future application of TFL as a potential anti-aging product.