Anti‐aging effect of peptides on Caenorhabditis elegans: a meta‐analysis

Abstract

BACKGROUNDPeptides have been studied in Caenorhabditis elegans for anti‐aging research recently. Due to the lack of sufficient evidence, we conducted this meta‐analysis focusing on the anti‐aging effect of peptides in C. elegans to provide more convincing evidence.RESULTSA literature search in PubMed, SCOUPUS, and Web of Science databases yielded 2879 articles. After removing duplicates and based on inclusion criteria and STAIR checklist quality assessment, 9 articles were selected. Data extraction and analysis showed that, compared to the control group without peptide intervention, peptide supplementation significantly reduced nematode mortality risk (HR= 0.54, 95% CI = 0.47, 0.62; p < 0.05), significantly increased the pharyngeal pumping rate (SMD = 1.64, 95% CI = 0.87, 2.41; p < 0.05), bending frequency (SMD = 1.67, 95% CI =1.16, 2.18; p < 0.05), and significantly decreased the accumulation of lipofuscin levels within nematodes (SMD = ‐4.48, 95% CI = ‐6.85, ‐2.12; p < 0.05). Additionally, subgroup analysis showed that doses ranging from 0.1–1 kg m3 ^‐1 (HR= 0.50, 95% CI = 0.38, 0.65; p < 0.05) displayed better anti‐aging effects compared to other dose ranges.CONCLUSIONThe findings suggest that peptides can significantly extend the lifespan of C. elegans under normal circumstances and improve three indicators of healthylife. More importantly, subgroup analysis revealed that a dosage of 0.1–1 kg m3 ^‐1 demonstrated superior anti‐aging effects. This meta‐analysis provides more convincing evidence that peptides can play an anti‐aging role in C. elegans.This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.