Sains Malaysiana 50(2)(2021): 429-436

http://dx.doi.org/10.17576/jsm-2021-5002-14

Effect of the Tocotrienol-Rich Fraction (TRF) on the Healthspan of Caenorhabditis elegans

(Kesan Fraksi Kaya Tokotrienol (TRF) pada Jangka Kesihatan Caenorhabditis elegans)

TAN TZER SIEN, MUHAMMAD FIRDAUS SATHIK RAHMAN, SITI SARA ISMAIL, NUR NAJIHAH MOHAMAD, AHMAD HAZIM MUSTAFFA, GEETHA GUNASEKARAN, SITI BAZILAH ZULKEFLI & GOON JO AAN*

Department of Biochemistry, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre, Jalan Yaacob Latif, Bandar Tun Razak, 56000 Cheras, Kuala Lumpur, Federal Territory, Malaysia

Received: 12 June 2020/Accepted: 3 August 2020

ABSTRACT

Vitamin E is an established antioxidant. However, the effect of vitamin E on healthspan, which deteriorates during ageing, has not been determined because most related studies have emphasized its effects on lifespan. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the effect of palm tocotrienol-rich fraction (TRF) on the lifespan, locomotion and thermotolerance of Caenorhabditis elegans, which share many common gene sequences with humans. The nematodes were treated with different concentrations of TRF (0 - 200 µg/mL), and the number of surviving nematodes at each concentration (N=30, duplicate) was counted daily under a light microscope to determine the optimal dose of treatment. The nematodes were divided into 3 groups, namely; control, Tween-80 (vehicle) and TRF-treated. Locomotion and thermotolerance were determined on day 4 and 12 of treatment in adult nematodes. ImageJ was used for locomotion analysis, and thermotolerance was determined based on nematode survivals after exposure to 37 °C. TRF-treated C. elegans had significantly longer lifespans compared to controls (P = 0.003). The TRF group (50 µg/mL) had the longest mean lifespan (23.5 days), which was significantly longer compared to controls, (18.5 days; (P = 0.002). However, locomotion was similar between all groups. In the thermotolerance assay, the survival determined on day 4 and day 12 of TRF-treatment was higher compared to controls (P= 0.046). Interestingly, the Tween- 80-treated group showed similar results as the TRF-treated group compared to controls. The findings indicate that TRF prolongs the lifespan and increases the thermotolerance of C. elegans but does not improve the locomotion of the worms as they age.

Keywords: Ageing; locomotion; oxidative stress; thermotolerance; vitamin E

ABSTRAK

Vitamin E adalah antioksidan yang diperakui tetapi kesannya terhadap jangka kesihatan yang kian merosot seiring dengan proses penuaan masih kurang jelas. Tujuan kajian ini adalah untuk menentukan kesan fraksi kaya tokotrienol (TRF) pada jangka hayat, pergerakan dan termotoleransi menggunakanCaenorhabditis elegans, yang berkongsi banyak urutan gen biasa dengan manusia. Nematoda dirawat dengan kepekatan TRF yang berbeza (0 - 200 µg/mL) dan jumlah nematoda yang masih hidup pada setiap kepekatan (N = 30, duplikat) dihitung setiap hari di bawah mikroskop untuk menentukan dos rawatan optimum. Nematoda dibahagikan kepada 3 kumpulan iaitu; kawalan, Tween-80 (pengangkut) dan TRF. Pengasaian pergerakan dan termotoleransi ditentukan pada hari ke-4 dan ke-12 kedewasaan nematoda. ImageJ digunakan untuk analisis pengasaian pergerakan dan pengasaian termotoleransi ditentukan melalui kemandirian nematoda selepas pendedahan kepada 37 °C. C. elegans yang dirawat dengan TRF mempunyai jangka hayat yang jauh lebih panjang berbanding dengan kawalan (P = 0.003). Kumpulan TRF (50 μg/mL) mempunyai jangka hayat purata tertinggi iaitu (23.5 hari), berbanding dengan kawalan, (18.5 hari; (P = 0.002). Bagaimanapun, kebolehan lokomotif adalah sama antara semua kumpulan. Dalam ujian termotoleransi, ketahanan suhu bagi nematoda hari ke-4 dan hari ke-12 nematoda yang dirawat TRF lebih tinggi berbanding dengan kawalan (P = 0.046). Menariknya, kumpulan Tween-80 juga menunjukkan keputusan yang sama seperti TRF apabila dibandingkan dengan kawalan. TRF memanjangkan jangka hayat dan meningkatkan termotoleransiC. elegans tanpa meningkatkan pergerakan nematoda semasa mereka berumur.

Kata kunci: Pengasaian pergerakan; penuaan; tekanan oksidatif; tekanan suhu; vitamin E

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*Corresponding author; email: joaan@ukm.edu.my