Dietary supplementation with peptides from sesame cake alleviates Parkinson’s associated pathologies in Caenorhabditis elegans

Abstract Peptides from sesame cake (PSC) have been reported to exert a beneficial effect on aging. Parkinson’s disease (PD) is an age-related disorder, which manifests as Lewy body formation and dopaminergic dysfunction. To investigate the effects of PSC on PD-associated pathologies and to identify possible underlying molecular mechanisms, this study employed two transgenic Caenorhabditis elegans models: NL5901, which expressed α-synuclein (α-syn) in muscle cells, and BZ555, which expressed GFP in dopamine neuronal soma and axons. The results showed PSC promoted both longevity and locomotion of NL5901 nematodes. Moreover, PSC not only decreased α-syn aggregation, but also decreased MPP+-induced dopaminergic neuron degeneration and dysregulation of food-sensing behaviour. Further study showed PSC reduced the level of ROS and induced the antioxidant system of NL5901. RNA interference assays demonstrated that the beneficial effects of PSC on PD are dependent on SKN-1. These data suggest PSC as useful nutraceutical to prevent and improve PD-related pathologies.