information prior to the design of murine model experiments or
clinical validations. Therefore, studies using C. elegans have significantly contribute to the knowledge into the molecular mechanisms
involved in different pathological disorders and responses to stresses by facilitating the generation of results that could hardly been
obtained using other more complex biological models.
Oxidative stress is a determinant factor that influences numerous human diseases including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, neurodegenerative diseases and aging. Oxidative stress is
caused by an imbalance between the production of reactive oxygen
or nitrogen species and the cellular defense mechanisms that must
prevent progressive oxidative damage of cellular components such
as DNA, lipids, or proteins. The nematode, despite being an invertebrate animal, is an excellent model to study oxidative stress resistance and aging processes due to evolutionary conserved pathways.
The beneficial antioxidant effects of food ingredients can be easily
studied in C. elegans and conveniently related to defense mechanisms and signaling pathways [11, 15, 16]. The approaches to carry
out the study of oxidative stress in C. elegans are very diverse,
varying the system of generating oxidative stress depending on
the objective of the study, the type of oxygen reactive species that
need to be generated or the subcellular compartment implicated. It
is possible to study the resistance of worms to different oxidant
agents such as hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ), menadione, sodium
arsenite, or paraquat, among others [11, 16–18], or by measuring
reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation [16].
Carotenoids in photosynthetic organisms as well as in other
carotenoids-producing organisms play a crucial role protecting the
cellular components against ROS acting as quenchers and scavengers [19]. In humans, besides the role of specific carotenoids as
provitamin A and their participation in visual function, they are
modulators of inflammation-related mechanisms [20–22]. Many of
the related health benefits attributed to carotenoids in human diet
have been tightly linked to their antioxidant properties as ROS
scavengers and quenchers, and also as electrophiles that enhance
endogenous antioxidant systems [20]. Therefore, many efforts are
focused on the evaluation of carotenoids against oxidative stress by
using in vivo and in vitro systems, and C. elegans has been shown as
a powerful model organism since contains many key components
related to oxidative stress networks common to those in mammals
[13] This animal system provides a rapid and effective platform to
test the bioactivity of carotenoids in pure form, in complex mixtures or in food matrices, and further molecular and biochemical
analysis of nematodes fed with carotenoids and upon stress challenge permit the identification of cellular targets and processes, and
molecular mechanisms involved in the carotenoid response and
protection against oxidative stress. Interestingly, as in other animal
models, it has been demonstrated in C. elegans a positive
Carotenoids and Oxidative Stress Assay in C. elegans
389
clinical validations. Therefore, studies using C. elegans have significantly contribute to the knowledge into the molecular mechanisms
involved in different pathological disorders and responses to stresses by facilitating the generation of results that could hardly been
obtained using other more complex biological models.
Oxidative stress is a determinant factor that influences numerous human diseases including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, neurodegenerative diseases and aging. Oxidative stress is
caused by an imbalance between the production of reactive oxygen
or nitrogen species and the cellular defense mechanisms that must
prevent progressive oxidative damage of cellular components such
as DNA, lipids, or proteins. The nematode, despite being an invertebrate animal, is an excellent model to study oxidative stress resistance and aging processes due to evolutionary conserved pathways.
The beneficial antioxidant effects of food ingredients can be easily
studied in C. elegans and conveniently related to defense mechanisms and signaling pathways [11, 15, 16]. The approaches to carry
out the study of oxidative stress in C. elegans are very diverse,
varying the system of generating oxidative stress depending on
the objective of the study, the type of oxygen reactive species that
need to be generated or the subcellular compartment implicated. It
is possible to study the resistance of worms to different oxidant
agents such as hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ), menadione, sodium
arsenite, or paraquat, among others [11, 16–18], or by measuring
reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation [16].
Carotenoids in photosynthetic organisms as well as in other
carotenoids-producing organisms play a crucial role protecting the
cellular components against ROS acting as quenchers and scavengers [19]. In humans, besides the role of specific carotenoids as
provitamin A and their participation in visual function, they are
modulators of inflammation-related mechanisms [20–22]. Many of
the related health benefits attributed to carotenoids in human diet
have been tightly linked to their antioxidant properties as ROS
scavengers and quenchers, and also as electrophiles that enhance
endogenous antioxidant systems [20]. Therefore, many efforts are
focused on the evaluation of carotenoids against oxidative stress by
using in vivo and in vitro systems, and C. elegans has been shown as
a powerful model organism since contains many key components
related to oxidative stress networks common to those in mammals
[13] This animal system provides a rapid and effective platform to
test the bioactivity of carotenoids in pure form, in complex mixtures or in food matrices, and further molecular and biochemical
analysis of nematodes fed with carotenoids and upon stress challenge permit the identification of cellular targets and processes, and
molecular mechanisms involved in the carotenoid response and
protection against oxidative stress. Interestingly, as in other animal
models, it has been demonstrated in C. elegans a positive
Carotenoids and Oxidative Stress Assay in C. elegans
389