Legumes reduced intestinal fat deposition in the Caenorhabditis elegans model system

• Legumes are a good source of protein, fiber, and many other nutrients needed in the daily diet to maintain good health.
• The Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) model organism is practical for research on many human diseases.
• We report that a subgroup of legumes is able to reduce body fat while increasing lifespan in the wild type C. elegans (N2).
• Dietary legumes as a nutritious food source also help to reduce the global obesity epidemic and diabetes.

Wild type Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) were fed with powdered legumes (1%, w/v): light red kidney, black, navy, white kidney, cranberry, great northern, lentil, lima, or dark red kidney (20%, 33% and 50% of a 1% suspension). Lipophilic fluorescent Nile red dye-stained intestinal fat deposition (IFD) indicated an IFD reduction by legumes in a descending order: light red kidney, black, navy, white kidney, cranberry, great northern, lentil, lima, or dark red kidney. Increased pharyngeal pumping rate (PPR), a surrogate marker of aging, was observed in all legumes at 50% dosage. Both inverse and direct relationships between IFD and PPR were detected in the wild type C. elegans in this study. These results suggested that whole legumes may promote health through regulation of lipid metabolism and lifespan in the model system C. elegans, which enhances our understanding of the effect of legumes and suggests further legumes study in human health.