Abstract
Many commercially available food products are laced with food additives, such as non-nutritive sweeteners (NNSs, e.g. Equal and Splenda). Due to the minimal caloric content and increased palatability, these products are often preferred. Some research exists on the adverse effects of these food additives, but the neurotoxic effects of these compounds are not yet understood beyond anecdotes. In this study, we explore the effects of chemical sweeteners and food additives on seizure behavior in Caenorhabditis elegans. C. elegans are widely used in neuroscience research due to their simple and fully mapped nervous system. To study convulsant behavior of C. elegans upon administration of the artificial flavorings, we used electroshock assay. The C. elegans were incubated in the 1 mM aspartame solution and exposed to a 47-mV electrical stimulus to induce seizure activity. Recovery time postseizure was collected from these trials and compared to that of the M9 saline negative control group and 72 mM pentylenetetrazol (PTZ) positive control group. We hypothesized that the additives would increase seizure duration time in C. elegans. By assessing recovery times, this study aims to shed light on potential proconvulsant effects of food enhancers and provide research data that can be applied to human models. The data collected from this study can be used to provide regulation of usage within a healthy consumption range as well as better inform us of the mechanism of action for seizures.
Faculty Sponsors
Dr. Scarlet Jinhong Park, Dr. Ken Dawson-Scully
Project Type
Event
Location
Alvin Sherman Library
Start Date
4-2-2025 2:15 PM
End Date
4-3-2025 12:00 AM
Exploring the Effects of Food Additives on Electroshock-Induced Seizures in Caenorhabditis elegans
Alvin Sherman Library
Many commercially available food products are laced with food additives, such as non-nutritive sweeteners (NNSs, e.g. Equal and Splenda). Due to the minimal caloric content and increased palatability, these products are often preferred. Some research exists on the adverse effects of these food additives, but the neurotoxic effects of these compounds are not yet understood beyond anecdotes. In this study, we explore the effects of chemical sweeteners and food additives on seizure behavior in Caenorhabditis elegans. C. elegans are widely used in neuroscience research due to their simple and fully mapped nervous system. To study convulsant behavior of C. elegans upon administration of the artificial flavorings, we used electroshock assay. The C. elegans were incubated in the 1 mM aspartame solution and exposed to a 47-mV electrical stimulus to induce seizure activity. Recovery time postseizure was collected from these trials and compared to that of the M9 saline negative control group and 72 mM pentylenetetrazol (PTZ) positive control group. We hypothesized that the additives would increase seizure duration time in C. elegans. By assessing recovery times, this study aims to shed light on potential proconvulsant effects of food enhancers and provide research data that can be applied to human models. The data collected from this study can be used to provide regulation of usage within a healthy consumption range as well as better inform us of the mechanism of action for seizures.
