From Coffee to Neuroprotection: Bioactive Compounds Mitigate Amyloid-Beta Toxicity in Caenorhabditis elegans

Sara Ngoy

Co-Presenters: Individual Presentation

College: Hennings College of Science Mathematics and Technology

Major: BS.SCI/TEC/MOLBIO

Faculty Research Mentor: Pereira, Renalison Farias  

Abstract:

There are more than 55 million people living with dementia worldwide, and this number is expected to increase to 78 million by 2030 and 139 million by 2050. Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the most common form of dementia, is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the accumulation of amyloid-beta (Aβ) peptides. This accumulation leads to neuronal dysfunction, motor impairment, and cognitive decline. Although a lot of research has been done, there are still not many good treatment options. This has led to more interest in bioactive compounds that could offer different ways to protect the brain.This study investigated the effects of coffee extract and phenolic compounds derived from coffee on Aβ-induced toxicity using the transgenic Caenorhabditis elegans CL2006 model, which expresses human Aβ and exhibits age-dependent paralysis. Synchronized CL2006 worms were treated with 0.03% and 0.06% coffee extract, caffeic acid, gallic acid, and chlorogenic acid , with dimethyl sulfoxide used as a control. Worms were treated in liquid media at 15 °C to minimize premature paralysis, then transferred to solid agar plates and incubated at 20–25 °C to promote age-dependent amyloid-β–induced paralysis. Paralysis assays were performed to evaluate motor function, and multiple independent trials were conducted to determine the percentage of non-paralyzed worms.Compared to the DMSO control, all treatments reduced Aβ-induced paralysis in the CL2006 C. elegans model. Across independent paralysis assays examining coffee extract and coffee-derived compounds at 0.03% and 0.06%, treated worms exhibited increased proportions of non-paralyzed percentage, indicating improved motor function relative to control. In these assays, coffee extract was associated with greater preservation of motility, particularly at the higher concentration. This concentration-dependent effect was further supported by a triplicate paralysis assay comparing DMSO with coffee extract at 0.03% and 0.06%, in which the higher concentration showed increased protection against paralysis. In a final assay comparing individual compounds at 0.06%, all treatments again increased the proportion of non-paralyzed worms relative to control, with coffee extract and chlorogenic acid demonstrating important protective effects. Together, these findings suggest that higher treatment concentrations reduce Aβ-associated toxicity and that bioactive compounds present in coffee contribute to neuroprotection.