Potential ofCaenorhabditis elegansas an antiaging evaluation model for dietary phytochemicals: A review

Abstract

Aging is an inevitable process characterized by the accumulation of degenerative damage, leading to serious diseases that affect human health. Studies on aging aim to develop pre-protection or therapies to delay aging and age-related diseases. A preventive approach is preferable to clinical treatment not only to reduce investment but also to alleviate pain in patients. Adjusting daily diet habits to improve the aging condition is a potentially attractive strategy. Fruits and vegetables containing active compounds that can effectively delay the aging process and reduce or inhibit age-related degenerative diseases have been identified. The signaling pathways related to aging in Caenorhabditis elegans are evolutionarily conserved; thus, studying antiaging components by intervening senescence process may contribute to the prevention and treatment of age-related diseases in humans. This review focuses on the effects of food-derived extracts or purified substance on antiaging in nematodes, as well as the underlying mechanisms, on the basis of several major signaling pathways and key regulatory factors in aging. The aim is to provide references for a healthy diet guidance and the development of antiaging nutritional supplements. Finally, challenges in the use of C. elegans as the antiaging evaluation model are discussed, together with the development that potentially inspire novel strategies and research tools.

The Review of Anti-aging Mechanism of Polyphenols on Caenorhabditis elegans

“…For example, the important transcription factor forkhead box O (FOXO), which is involved in longevity, stress resistance, and metabolism, is present in drosophila, nematodes, rodents, and humans (Martins et al, 2016 ). Therefore, C. elegans is broadly utilized in screening for natural bioactive substances (Ye et al, 2020 ). Numerous transgenes and mutants related to the longevity and aging of C. elegans are available (Chen et al, 2015 ), and many polyphenols have been successfully tested for their effects on general health benefits and longevity on nematodes.…”

Comparison of the chemical composition and antioxidant stress ability of polysaccharides from Auricularia auricula under different drying methods

“…It is estimated that 60–80% of the C. elegans genes are homologous to human’s genes, and about 42% are homologous to human disease genes. 29 According to the study of Cynthia J., some genes and signaling pathways in C. elegans are highly homologous to humans. 30 There are similarities between humans and C. elegans in oxidant stress, that is, the prolongation of life span is related to the antioxidant stress ability.…”

Carotenoids from mamey (Pouteria sapota) and carrot (Daucus carota) increase the oxidative stress resistance of Caenorhabditis elegans

“…A key regulator of the oxidative stress response is DAF-16, a forkhead class transcription factor homologous to the mammal FOXO protein family, which is regulated by the insulin/IGF-1 signaling (IIS) pathway [ 35 , 43 ]. The IIS pathway is an evolutionary conserved pathway that regulates aging, longevity, and stress response in mammals and C. elegans [ 12 , 44 ]. In C. elegans , the IIS comprises an insulin/IGF-1 receptor (DAF-2), which regulates the activity of a phosphorylation cascade that modulates DAF-16 [ 45 , 46 ].…”

“…Another key genetic pathway that modulates the oxidative stress response and longevity in C. elegans is SKN-1 [ 46 ]. SKN-1 is the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) mammalian ortholog, which regulates phase II detoxification genes and modulates lifespan [ 13 , 44 ]. Nrf2/SKN-1 defends against age-related diseases such as neurodegenerative, chronic inflammation, and cancer [ 45 ].…”