The evolving role of the Caenorhabditis elegans model as a tool to advance studies in nutrition and health

Abstract

This review highlights the scope and relevance for using the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans for advancing human nutrition and health studies. This is in the context of changing global priorities by offering a simple tool to investigate the nutritional problems facing the world today. Existing research presented here shows the advantages of using C elegans to evaluate human eating behavior, obesity, and the molecular basis of nutrition and gustation. C elegans has been used to understand diet interventions and nutraceuticals and explain how these metabolites affect human health. The nematode has been used to investigate various aspects of the gut microbiome and selecting appropriate microbial strains for probiotic studies. Nematode research has interpreted mechanisms of host-pathogen interactions to control foodborne illness and examine diet-related aging and longevity. Future research using C elegans shows promise for evaluating space nutrition and immunity testing.