A study found that phytoene, a carotenoid, extends the lifespan of Caenorhabditis elegans and reduces Alzheimer’s-related plaque effects. Researchers are exploring its broader potential in disease prevention.
Researchers from the Color and Food Quality group at the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Seville, in partnership with Dr. Marina Ezcurra’s team at the University of Kent (UK), have demonstrated that the carotenoid phytoene extends the lifespan of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Additionally, it delays the onset of paralysis linked to amyloid plaque formation in an Alzheimer’s disease model.
Specifically, increases in longevity of between 10 and 18.6% and decreases in the proteotoxic effect of plaques of between 30 and 40% were observed. The studies, which form part of Ángeles Morón Ortiz’s doctoral thesis, tested pure phytoene and extracts rich in this carotenoid obtained from microalgae.
According to Dr. Paula Mapelli Brahm, “These are very exciting preliminary results, so we are looking for funding to continue this line of research and to find out by what mechanisms these effects are produced.”
The Importance of Caenorhabditis elegans in Biomedical Research
Caenorhabditis elegans is a widely used animal model in biomedicine. In fact, it has been instrumental in important discoveries that have been recognized with the Nobel Prize, such as programmed cell death, RNA interference, and applications of the GFP protein.
Professor Antonio Jesús Meléndez Martínez’s team has spent 15 years studying phytoene, which is found in foods such as tomatoes, carrots, apricots, red peppers, oranges, mandarins and passion fruit, among others. It is a compound that is efficiently absorbed and found in many tissues, including the skin, where studies indicate that it can protect against ultraviolet radiation.
The team works on the sustainable production of healthy foods to reduce the risk of disease, with an emphasis on the applications of carotenoids in agri-food, nutrition, and cosmetics. In this area, they have coordinated international networks in which researchers from more than 50 countries have participated.
Reference: “Phytoene and Phytoene-Rich Microalgae Extracts Extend Lifespan in C. elegans and Protect against Amyloid-β Toxicity in an Alzheimer’s Disease Model” by Ángeles Morón-Ortiz, Antonis A. Karamalegkos, Paula Mapelli-Brahm, Marina Ezcurra and Antonio J. Meléndez-Martínez, 30 July 2024, Antioxidants.
DOI: 10.3390/antiox13080931
The researchers have received funding from the Ministry of Science and Innovation – State Research Agency/10.13039/501100011033, specifically from the NEWCARFOODS-PID2019-110438RB-C21 project and the Spanish Carotenoid Network (CaRed-RED2022-134577-T). NEWCARFOODS has been developed in coordination with the group of Professor Rosa León (University of Huelva) who provided the microalgae used in the study.