Caernohabditis elegans as a Model Organism to Evaluate the Antioxidant Effects of Phytochemicals

Abstract

The nematode Caernohabditis elegans was introduced as a model organism in biological research by Sydney Brenner in the 1970s. Since then, it has been increasingly used for investigating processes such as ageing, oxidative stress, neurodegeneration, or inflammation, for which there is a high degree of homology between C. elegans and human pathways, so that the worm offers promising possibilities to study mechanisms of action and effects of phytochemicals of foods and plants. In this paper, the genes and pathways regulating oxidative stress in C. elegans are discussed, as well as the methodological approaches used for their evaluation in the worm. In particular, the following aspects are reviewed: the use of stress assays, determination of chemical and biochemical markers (e.g., ROS, carbonylated proteins, lipid peroxides or altered DNA), influence on gene expression and the employment of mutant worm strains, either carrying loss-of-function mutations or fluorescent reporters, such as the GFP.

Keywords: antioxidant enzymes; insulin/IGF-1; oxidative stress; polyphenols; q-RT-PCR; reactive oxygen species; signaling pathways.

Figure 1

Induction of oxidative damage and its modulation by polyphenols.

Figure 2

Scheme of the IIS pathway in Caenorhabditis elegans.