Investigating lifespan and healthspan effects of Canada grown Haskap berries (Lonicera caerulea) on Caenorhabditis elegans:

Abstract

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 in vitro investigation of HBs has been done, in vivo data is currently unavailable. This study addresses the lack of in vivo research on HBs by studying healthspan and lifespan effects of various haskap berry extract concentrations on model organism C. elegans. This study will provide a methodological and data-driven starting point for further research.This poster won the Vice-Presidents, Students Award (2017