Literature Review: GI Determination in C. elegans Optimization

This report presents a study focused on optimizing the method for determining the Glycemic Index (GI) using the C. elegans model. The research aims to investigate the effects of high GI diets and their implications for diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular diseases. The study design involves feeding C. elegans organisms with glucose-rich food and observing them over 20 days, analyzing their survival rates and locomotion activities. The results indicate that a high glucose diet is associated with a shorter lifespan and accelerated aging in C. elegans. The report concludes that a low GI diet is more beneficial for individuals susceptible to diabetes and chronic diseases, and it suggests the suitability of C. elegans models for nutritional and metabolic research. The study references several key publications supporting the findings and provides insights into the benefits of glycemic index in relation to diabetes.

OPTIMIZATION OF METHOD
FOR THE DETERMINATION
OF GI (GLYCEMIC INDEX) IN
C.ELEGANS
Name of the Student
Name of the University

GLYCEMIC INDEX
• It is a ranking scale of foods that have carbohydrate,
according to how they affect the blood glucose levels
(Fontana & Partridge, 2015).
• Foods with low GI are digested, absorbed and metabolized
slowly that causes slow rise in the blood glucose levels. It
is the reverse in high GI foods.

C. ELEGAN MODEL
• These are organisms that are used for investigating
biological functions in a human because they have similar
biological activities like humans, have low cost of
maintenance and has an ease of genetic manipulation.
• C elegans are roundworms that are in the category of
nematodes.

PROPOSED STUDY
• This study is conducted on C elegan model to determine
the effects of high GI diet and its implication on diabetes,
cancer and cardiovascular diseases.
• The purpose for this study is to find about the impact of
low GI diet in diabetic patients and why it is the reason for
slow rise in the blood glucose levels (Tay et al., 2015).

AIM and HYPOTHESIS
• Aim: To investigate the benefits of glycemic index in
relation to diabetes with the help of C. Elegan models.
• Hypothesis: How C Elegan model is used for identifying
the benefits of the Glycemic Index for diabetic patients.

STUDY DESIGN
• In this research the organisms will be given food rich in
glucose and they will be observed for 20 days to find out
the implications.
• As these organisms have a life cycle of 3 days and have a
similar system like humans, which makes it easier to
understand the consequences when done the same with
humans.

RESULTS
• It was observed that in the first 10 days only 90% of the
organisms survived and by the 20th day only 60% of them
survived due to apoptosis (Gartner, Boag & Blackwell,
2018).
• It was also seen that the locomotion activities was
becoming slow after the 10th day indicating fast aging
during middle adulthood.
• This study proved that food in high glucose content was
linked to shorter lifespan and early aging (Zheng et al.,
2017).

Conclusion
This is to conclude that a low GI diet is more healthier for
people who are susceptible to diabetes and other chronic
diseases. As it decreases the speed of glucose levels rising
in the blood.
It is also necessary to suggest that C elegan models are
optimum for research in nutrition and other metabolic
functions in humans.

REFERENCES
Fontana, L., & Partridge, L. (2015). Promoting health and longevity through diet:
from model organisms to humans. Cell, 161(1), 106-118.
Gartner, A., Boag, P. R., & Blackwell, T. K. (2018). Germline survival and apoptosis.
In WormBook: The Online Review of C. elegans Biology [Internet]. WormBook.
Tay, J., Luscombe-Marsh, N. D., Thompson, C. H., Noakes, M., Buckley, J. D., Wittert,
G. A., ... & Brinkworth, G. D. (2015). Comparison of low-and high-carbohydrate
diets for type 2 diabetes management: a randomized trial. The American journal of
clinical nutrition, 102(4), 780-790.
Zheng, J., Gao, C., Wang, M., Tran, P., Mai, N., Finley, J. W., ... & Burton, J. H. (2017).
Lower doses of fructose extend lifespan in Caenorhabditis elegans. Journal of
dietary supplements, 14(3), 264-277.