Coix seed oil prolongs lifespan and enhances stress resistance in Caenorhabditis elegans.

ABSTRACT

Coix seed oil (CSO) has many beneficial effects, but there is limited research on its influence on the processes and mechanisms related to senescence. Here, we used Caenorhabditis elegans as an in vivo model to investigate CSO's bioeffects on longevity. CSO (1 mg/mL) significantly extended the mean lifespan of C. elegans by over 22.79% and markedly improved stress resistance. Gene-specific mutant studies showed that the CSO-mediated increase in life expectancy was dependent on mev-1, hsf-1 and daf-16, but not daf-2. Furthermore, CSO significantly upregulated stress-inducible genes, including daf-16 and its downstream genes (sod-3, hsp-16.2 and gst-4). In addition, four major fatty acids, linoleic, oleic, palmitic and stearic, played leading roles in C. elegans' extended lifespan. Thus, CSO increased the life expectancy of, and enhanced the stress resistance in, C. elegans mainly through daf-16 and its downstream genes, but not through the insulin/insulin-like growth factor 1 signaling pathway.