Bialas, Nathan

As superfoods gain popularity in mainstream media, investigating their potential health benefits has become an attractive area of research. Fruits such as açai berries, blueberries and strawberries contain high levels of antioxidants that have been shown to reduce the risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cognitive decline. In this study, we examined the benefits of the lesser-known haskap berry (Lonicera caerulea) on the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans. In previous years it was determined that haskap berry extract can increase lifespan and stress resistance in C. elegans via the daf-16 pathway (homologous to the FOXO pathway in mammals). In this study, the intergenerational transmission of these benefits was explored as were the downstream proteins that are affected by DAF-16. It was found that the lifespan extension benefits gained from HBE do exhibit intergenerational transmission in C. elegans. Using transgenic strains of C. elegans it was found that HBE upregulates the expression of SOD-3 and protects worms from oxidative stress. These results highlight some of the benefits of haskap berry and suggest it is a prime candidate for further study.

Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is the most common form of neurodegenerative dementia in Canada. Many researchers are investigating therapeutic options for the prevention and treatments of AD using natural plant-based sources i.e. superfoods.Haskap berries (HBs) (Fig. 1) are originally native to Siberia and northeastern Asia but have recently expanded to the Canadian market.The compounds found in HBs, such as the anthocyanin cyanidin-3-glucoside (C3G), have demonstrated in purified in vitro studies to have beneficial effects on lifespan, development, and neuronal growth. Research goals of this project are to continue previous work into the investigation of the effects of Haskap Berry Extract (HBE) on C. elegans and determine if HBE has neuroprotective effects in C. elegans, in terms of delaying the onset of phenotypic symptoms, and reducing the accumulation of Aβ plaques.

Fruit such as acai fruits have grown in popularity due to high anti-oxident activity and other health promoting benefits. Studies suggest anthocyanins are responsible for various bioactivities such as anti-osicent, anti-inflamatory, ani-microbial, cardiprotective, hepatoprotective, and neuroprotective activities, among others. Haskap berries (HBs) are especially suited for growth in Canada. The berries also contain a higher concentration of anthocyanins compare to various acai fruits, making them a good candidate for further investigation. Although some <i>in vitro</i> investigation of HBs has been done, <i>in vivo</i> data is currently unavailable. This study addresses the lack of <i>in vivo</i> research on HBs by studying healthspan and lifespan effects of various haskap berry extract concentrations on model organism <i>C. elegans</i>. This study will provide a methodological and data-driven starting point for further research.