Mice given modest amounts of the red-wine ingredient resveratrol exhibited fewer signs of bone and heart-muscle aging, hinting that the substance could have practical potential as an anti-aging drug, Bloomberg reported June 4.

Previous studies have shown similar results, but only with mega-doses of resveratrol -- the equivalent of drinking 1,000 or more bottles of wine. Pharmaceutical companies have been eyeing resveratrol as a possible treatment for diseases like cancer and diabetes.

Resveratrol had health benefits similar to a calorie-restricted diet, the rodent study found. "Resveratrol, at doses that can be readily achieved in humans, fulfills the definition of a dietary compound that mimics some aspects of calorie restriction," said researcher Tomas Prolla of the University of Wisconsin at Madison.

The study was published in the journal Public Library of Science (PLoS) One.