Soil nematodeCaenorhabditis elegansMaupas as a convenient model organism to study anthelmintic activity of plant extracts

Abstract

The article deals with the study of the possibility to use free-living soil nematode C. elegans in researches of anthelmintic activity of plant raw material. A. sativum juice and aqueous extract of T. vulgare flowers were used in experiments. It is shown that both A. sativum juice and tansy flowers extract caused dose-dependent disturbances of C. elegans swimming motor program. These disturbances are similar with disturbances caused by agonist of cholinoreceptors levamisole. Therefore, the target of A. sativum juice and T. vulgare extract action is C. elegans cholinergic system. The mechanism of toxic action of A. sativum and T. vulgare on C. elegans organism consists in hyperactivation of nicotinic cholinoreceptors. The possibility of quick adaptation of C. elegans nicotinic cholinoreceptors to active components of tansy flowers extract was revealed. Soil nematode C. elegans may be used for investigation of anthelmintic activity of A. sativum and T. vulgare for the purpose of identification of secondary metabolites responsible for the toxic action on helminths.

Toxic action of substances from male fern Dryopteris filix-mas (L.) Schott (1834) on free-living soil nematode Caenorhabditis elegans Maupas (1900)

“…At present we have no sufficient scientific basis for use of plant-derived substances for treatment helminthiases of humans and animals. acethylcholine esterase inhibitors, agonists and antagonists of acethylcholine receptors [9,21]. Tansy Tanacetum vulgare, wormwood Artemisia absintium and some other plants using for helminthiases treatment contain thujone -antagonist of one of subtypes of γaminobutiric acid receptors [9,22].…”