In a peer-reviewed laboratory study, extract from perilla leaves lengthened the lives of Caenorhabditis elegans worms and reduced their fat storage. Researchers also examined heat and oxidative stress resistance and markers linked to insulin signalling. These findings come from one worm model, with no demonstrated effect on human longevity or weight.
A peer-reviewed laboratory study tested an ethyl acetate extract of perilla leaves in Caenorhabditis elegans, a small worm used in ageing and metabolism research. Treated worms lived longer and stored less fat. These observations belong to an animal model. The experiment measured no change in human lifespan or weight. Eating perilla leaves as food is also a different exposure from giving worms a prepared extract in a controlled laboratory setting.[1]
Alongside lifespan and fat storage, the researchers measured pharyngeal pumping and head movement. Both were more frequent in treated worms. Lipofuscin and reactive oxygen species, markers tracked in the ageing and oxidative stress work, were lower. The animals also showed greater resistance to heat and oxidative stress. These are different measurements within the same worm experiment; none establishes a treatment benefit in people.[1]
The paper also reports changes in markers associated with insulin and insulin-like growth factor signalling. The researchers propose that modulation of this pathway may be associated with the differences in fat storage and lifespan. Those markers support a mechanism hypothesis within the worm model; they do not show that the same extract acts the same way in people. The findings provide a basis for further experiments on perilla compounds, without establishing dietary or clinical advice.[1]
