Significant damage-rescuing effects of wood vinegar extract in living Caenorhabditis elegans under oxidative stress

BACKGROUND: Wood vinegar (WV), a byproduct from the charcoal production process, has been reported to have excellent antioxidant capability by chemical examination. However, the biological effect of WV in living animals is still unknown. In this study, a simple model organism, the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, was used as an in vivo system to assess the biological effects of wood vinegar through the development, lifespan, brood size, germline cell apoptosis and superoxide dismutase (SOD) level. RESULTS: Wood vinegar extract (WVE) promoted the development, prolonged the lifespan and increased the brood size in reactive oxidative species (ROS)‐sensitive mutant worms. WVE treatment rescued the effects of damage in germline cell apoptosis and SOD upregulation induced by paraquat, an ROS generator, to the control level. Additionally, WVE showed comparative ability in rescuing damage as compared with L‐ascorbic acid and α‐tocopherol. CONCLUSION: WVE treatment exhibits a remedial/beneficial effect on ROS‐sensitive mutant under normal cultural conditions and on wild‐type worms under oxidative stress. ROS scavenging is involved in the damage‐rescuing mechanism. This study will provide a basal biological and nutritional exploration for the use of WV as a functional food, and for the substitution of chemical antioxidants with side effects in food. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry