Spermidine for a Long, Dementia-Free Life?

Spermidine, N-(3-aminopropyl) butane-1,4-diamine, is a low-molecular-mass organic base (C7H19N3, CAS 124-20-9) and belongs to the polyamine family which includes spermine and putrescine, the direct precursor of spermidine (Figure 1). At ambient temperature (22-25 °C) spermidine is a colorless liquid or a white powder. In biological samples, the two primary amine groups and the secondary amine group of spermidine are protonated so that the spermidine molecule is a polyvalent cation. Spermidine is a natural compound and widely distributed in plants, animals and humans. Scientific reports on spermidine and putrescine exist for more than 90 years, whereas articles on spermine appeared 25 years earlier (Table 1).