Effects of Petunidin-3-Glucoside Supplementation on Lifespan and Reproductive Health in the Presence and Absence of Heat and Oxidative Stress in Caenorhabditis elegans

Abstract

Petunidin, an anthocyanin present in wine, berries, potatoes, and beans, has been previously shown to have anti-inflammatory and reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging properties. Yet, much remains unknown about its specific effects in vivo. Thus, this study investigated petunidin-3-glucoside (P3G) and its potential health-promoting effects both in the presence and absence of stressors (heat and oxidative), using Caenorhabditis elegans as an animal model. Without stress, P3G (25 and 12.5 μg/mL) significantly extended the lifespan of C. elegans by 15.70% – 21.82% and continued to increase the lifespan under heat stress by 37.09% – 56.73% (p≤0.05). The same trend was observed for the egg-laying span and fertility span, which were significantly increased by 66.67% – 85.71% and 85%, respectively in the absence of stress (p≤0.05). Meanwhile, no significant differences were observed in the eggs laid and viable eggs-eggs laid ratio across all treatment groups when compared to the control (dH2O). Overall, P3G exhibited lifespan extension effects in C. elegans with and without heat stress, but surprisingly decreased lifespan under oxidative stress. In terms of reproductive health, P3G was able to extend C. elegans reproductive span. Further research is warranted to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of these effects and their potential translational applications.