Black tea extracts enhance stress-induced sleep of Caenorhabditis elegans to resist UV damage

[Display omitted] •Black tea extract (BTE) helped C. elegans mitigate UV damage via stress-induced sleep (SIS).•BTE enhanced C. elegans recovery by KIN-29-mediated quiescence and fat homeostasis during SIS.•The black tea polyphenols theaflavins assisted C. elegans in entering SIS after UV stress. Black tea is believed to strengthen the ability of the body to defend itself against external stimuli. Here, by examining Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) locomotor behavior over a short period after UV stress, we found that feeding black tea extract (BTE) caused worms to enter a superior stress-induced sleep (SIS) state, which potentially boosting organismal recovery. BTE enhances SIS through KIN-29 mediated epidermal growth factor signaling and modulation of sleep by specific interneurons ALA and RIS. It also inhibits lipid degradation during sleep. These functions were also observed when theaflavins (TFs) were fed. In conclusion, our results describe a new way for BTE-enhanced damage repair in C. elegans after UV stress that relies on enhanced SIS, and confirm the contribution of TFs therein.