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Table 3 Representative bioactivities of natural products and probiotic bacteria in the C. elegans model

From: Caenorhabditis elegans as a powerful tool in natural product bioactivity research

Category

Natural products

Main finding

Molecular pathway

References

Anti-aging

Hibiscus sabdariffa L. extract

↑ Lifespan by 24%

↓ Lipofuscin

↑ Intracellular ROS levels

DAF-16 and SKN-1

[54]

Ginsenosides

↑ Lifespan by 14.02%

SKN-1, SIR 2.1, and DAF-16

[55]

Glochidion zeylanicum leaf extracts

↓ Mortality by juglone by 42.23%

↓ Intracellular ROS by 41.33%

SOD-3, and GST-4

HSP-16.2

DAF-16 and SKN-1

[56]

Corynebacterium durum metabolites

↑ Lifespan up to 21.6%

SIR-2.1

[64]

Protocatechuic, gallic, and vanillic acid

↑ Lifespan and heat stress resistance

sir-2.1 expression

ATP depletion in aged nematodes

[66]

Myricetin

↑ Lifespan and body bending in age worms

SIR-2.1

[72]

Anti-obesity

Luteolin

↓ Fat accumulation up to approximately 35%

Serotonin synthesis in ADF neurons to promote lipolysis and fatty acid β-oxidation

[82, 156]

Chrysin

↓ Fat accumulation by 38.9%

DAF-16

[83]

trans-Trismethoxy resveratrol

↓ Triglyceride accumulation by 14%

Downregulated stearoyl-CoA desaturase genes, fat-6 and fat-7

[84]

Bitter melon polysaccharides

↓ Triglyceride content

daf-2, fat-5, fat-6 and fat-7 mediated fatty acid desaturases pathways

[87]

Neuroprotective effect

Magnolol

↓ Paralyzed phenotype by 20%

PPAR-γ

[90]

Hydroxytyrosol and oleuropein aglycone

↓ α-Synuclein accumulation by 14% at day 12

Proteasome activity

[98]

Mucuna pruriens seed extract

↑ Median (25%) and maximum survival (47.8%) in dopaminergic neurotoxin treatment

 

[93]

Olive polyphenols

↑ The activity index by 142% in a rotenone-induced PD model

↓ α-Synuclein by 17%

 

[156]

Gut health improvement

3,3′- Diindolylmethane

↓ C. elegans intestinal permeability triggered by P. aeruginosa infection by 14.81%

 

[100, 101]

L. casei

↑ Egg laying and pharyngeal pumping in sick worms

↓ K. pneumoniae colonization in the intestine

TLR, RACK-1 and p38 MAPK

[105]

E. coli strain Nissle 1917

↓ Relative permeability of a pathogenic E. coli infected gut

↓ Body-cavity leakage by approximately 20%

ZOO-1

[106]

Anti-infective effect

Diplocyclos palmatus

↑ Survival time by 50%

↓ Colonization of S. marcescens

daf-16 and immune-related genes (clec-60, clec-87, lys-7 and bec-1)

[117]

5-Hydroxymethyl-2-furaldehyde

↑ Survival time by 24 h

Multidrug resistance gene expression

[118]

Bifidobacterium spp.

↑ Survival rate against enterohemorrhagic E. coli

Transcription of the genes encoding virulence factors

[121]

Broccoli extract

↑ Survival rates of C. elegans increase by 28.5%

luxS and pfs genes

QS-mediated bacterial virulence

[122]

Honokiol and magnolol

↓ Lethality rate in C. elegans during MSSA infection

Modulation of immune response IFN-β and IFN-λ

[123]

Hypericin and Ampicillin Cotreatment

Recovered body sizes that are similar to vehicle control worms

 

[125]

Tripterygium wilfordii extract

↑ Survivability of S. pyogenes infection

 

[126]