Barley β-glucan resist oxidative stress of Caenorhabditis elegans via daf-2/daf-16 pathway

beta-glucan is an important functional active component with relatively high content in barley. It is reported to possess various biological activities, including anti-oxidative stress, but its mechanism of action remains obscure. In the current study, C. elegans was used as an in vivo animal model to explore its anti-oxidative stress mechanism. We found that both RBG (raw barley beta-glucan) and FBG (fermented barley beta-glucan) could significantly reduce the ROS level in C. elegans under oxidative emergency conditions. In addition, both FBG and RBG had positive effects on SOD and CAT enzyme activity, and FBG treatment obviously reduced the MDA content in nematodes under oxidative stress. Moreover, FBG and RBG pretreatment could extend the median lifespan of C. elegans under oxidative stress. The CB1370 and CF1038 mutants further confirmed that daf-2 and daf-16 were necessary for FBG or RBG to participate in anti-oxidative stress, and the RT-PCR results also evidenced that beta-glucans resist oxidative stress in C. elegans partially through the daf-2/daf-16 pathway. In summary, barley beta-glucan has high potential to defense oxidative stress as a natural polysaccharide.

Automated summary

Barley beta-glucan shows potential in defending oxidative stress in C. elegans by reducing ROS levels, enhancing SOD and CAT enzyme activity, decreasing MDA content, and extending lifespan. It participates in anti-oxidative stress partially through the daf-2/daf-16 pathway.