The complex interplay of genetic pathways in C.elegans following the treatment with humic substances

Low concentrations of the dissolved leonardite humic acid HuminFeed® (HF) prolonged the lifespan and enhanced the thermal stress resistance of the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans. Furthermore growth was impaired and reproduction delayed, effects which have also been identified in other polyphenolic monomers, including tannic acid, rosmarinic acid, and caffeic acid. Moreover, a chemical modification of HF (HF-HQ), which increases its phenolic/quinonoid moieties, magnified the biological impact on C. elegans. To gain a deep insight into the molecular basis of these effects, we performed global transcriptomics on young adult (3 d) and old adult (11 d) nematodes exposed to two concentrations of HF and young adults (3 d) exposed to two concentrations of HF-HQ. The global transcriptome was compared in Caenorhabditis elegans mutant strain GE24, pha-1(e2123) exposed to 0, 0.2 and 2.0 mM HuminFeed® (HF) or Huminfeed-Hydroquinone (HF-HQ). Nematodes were harvested as 3 or 11 day old adults (for HF) or 3 day old adults (for HF-HQ).