Antistress and anti-aging activities ofCaenorhabditis eleganswere enhanced byMomordicasaponin extract

Background Momordica saponin extract (MSE) was found to not only improve longevity and neuroprotection but also alleviate fat accumulation inCaenorhabditis elegansin our previous study. However, the lipid-lowering activity of MSE alone could not fully explain its ability to improve health, so the antistress effects of MSE were further studied. Methods UsingC. elegansas an in vivo animal, the lifespan of MSE-treatedC. elegansunder various stressors (H2O2, paraquat and heat) and normal conditions was studied. Furthermore, the antioxidant activities of MSE were discussed. To study the underlying mechanisms, the expression of stress resistance genes and the resistance of related mutants to H(2)O(2)stress were tested. Results MSE significantly improved the lifespan ofC. elegansunder stress and normal conditions. Meanwhile, the mobility ofC. eleganswas also improved. Moreover, the activities of SOD and CAT and the ratio of GSH/GSSG were elevated. Consistently, the levels of ROS and lipid oxidation (the NEFA and MDA content) were reduced. Furthermore, MSE treatment upregulated the expression of thesod-3,sod-5,clt-1,clt-2,hsp-16.1andhsp-16.2genes. All biomarkers indicated that the antistress and anti-aging activities of MSE were due to its strong antioxidant activities. Finally, MSE induced nuclear DAF-16::GFP localization. Studies with mutants revealed thatskn-1andhsf-1were involved in the activity of MSE, which might upregulate the expression of downstream stress-responsive genes. Conclusions Therefore, in addition to its lipid-lowering property, the ability of MSE to improve healthspan was also attributed to the stress resistance effect. Together, MSE might serve as a lead nutraceutical in geriatric research.