Ferulic Acid Supplementation Increases Lifespan and Stress Resistance via Insulin/IGF-1 Signaling Pathway in C. elegans

Ferulic acid (FA) is a naturally-occurring well-known potent antioxidant and free radical scavenger. FA supplementation is an effective strategy to delay aging, but the underlying mechanism remains unknown. In the present study, we examined the effects of FA on lifespan extension and its mechanism of FA inCaenorhabditis elegans(C. elegans). Results suggested that FA increased the lifespan ofC. elegans, rather than altering the growth ofE. coliOP50. Meanwhile, FA promoted the healthspan ofC. elegansby improving locomotion and reducing fat accumulation and polyQ aggregation. FA increased the resistance to heat and oxidative stress through reducing ROS. The upregulating of the expression of thehlh-30,skn-1, andhsf-1were involved in the FA-mediated lifespan extension. Furthermore, FA treatment had no impact on the lifespan ofdaf-2,hlh-30,skn-1, andhsf-1mutants, confirming that insulin/IGF-1 signaling pathway and multiple longevity mechanisms were associated with the longevity mechanism of FA. We further found that mitochondrial signaling pathway was modulation involved in FA-mediated lifespan extension. With the results from RNA-seq results and mutants lifespan assay. These findings contribute to our knowledge of the lifespan extension and underlying mechanism of action of FA inC. elegans.Keywords:ferulic acid;lifespan;stress resistant;insulin/IGF-1;Caenorhabditis elegans