title: Caenorhabditis elegans as model system in pharmacology and toxicology: effects of flavonoids on redox-sensitive signalling pathways and ageing.
abstract: Flavonoids are secondary plant compounds that mediate diverse biological activities, for example, by scavenging free radicals and modulating intracellular signalling pathways. It has been shown in various studies that distinct flavonoid compounds enhance stress resistance and even prolong the life span of organisms. In the last years the model organism C. elegans has gained increasing importance in pharmacological and toxicological sciences due to the availability of various genetically modified nematode strains, the simplicity of modulating genes by RNAi, and the relatively short life span. Several studies have been performed demonstrating that secondary plant compounds influence ageing, stress resistance, and distinct signalling pathways in the nematode. Here we present an overview of the modulating effects of different flavonoids on oxidative stress, redox-sensitive signalling pathways, and life span in C. elegans introducing the usability of this model system for pharmacological and toxicological research.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Agricultural and Nutritional Sciences, Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, Weinbergweg 22 (Biozentrum), 06120 Halle, Germany.
authors.forename: Karoline
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Koch
authors.affiliation: Institute of Agricultural and Nutritional Sciences, Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, Weinbergweg 22 (Biozentrum), 06120 Halle, Germany.
authors.forename: Susannah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Havermann
authors.affiliation: Institute of Agricultural and Nutritional Sciences, Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, Weinbergweg 22 (Biozentrum), 06120 Halle, Germany.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Büchter
authors.affiliation: Institute of Agricultural and Nutritional Sciences, Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, Weinbergweg 22 (Biozentrum), 06120 Halle, Germany.
authors.forename: Wim
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-0955-386X
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wätjen
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000494:pharmacology; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction / Q000187:drug effects; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D005419:Flavonoids