Soil nematode Caenorhabditis elegans Maupas as a convenient model organism to study anthelmintic activity of plant extracts

Abstract

The article deals with the study of the possibility to use free-living soil nematode C. elegans in researches of anthelmintic activity of plant raw material. A. sativum juice and aqueous extract of T. vulgare flowers were used in experiments. It is shown that both A. sativum juice and tansy flowers extract caused dose-dependent disturbances of C. elegans swimming motor program. These disturbances are similar with disturbances caused by agonist of cholinoreceptors levamisole. Therefore, the target of A. sativum juice and T. vulgare extract action is C. elegans cholinergic system. The mechanism of toxic action of A. sativum and T. vulgare on C. elegans organism consists in hyperactivation of nicotinic cholinoreceptors. The possibility of quick adaptation of C. elegans nicotinic cholinoreceptors to active components of tansy flowers extract was revealed. Soil nematode C. elegans may be used for investigation of anthelmintic activity of A. sativum and T. vulgare for the purpose of identification of secondary metabolites responsible for the toxic action on helminths.