Metabolic Regulations of Smilax china L. against β-Amyloid Toxicity in Caenorhabditis elegans

Smilax chinaL. (Chinaroot) is a natural herb that has multiple uses, such as being used to make tea and food. Both its roots and leaves have different uses due to their unique components. In this study, we analyzed the extract ofS. china.roots using LC-HRMS and evaluated the neuroprotective effects and metabolic regulation ofS. chinaonCaenorhabditis elegans.Chinaroot extract prolonged the life span of healthy nematodes, delayed the paralysis time of transgenic CL4176, and reduced the level of β-amyloid deposition in transgenic CL2006. The comprehensive analysis of metabolomics and qRT-PCR revealed that Chinaroot extract exerted neuroprotective effects through the valine, leucine and isoleucine degradation and fatty acid degradation pathways. Moreover, we first discovered that the expressions ofT09B4.8,ech-7, andagxt-1were linked to the neuroprotective effects of Chinaroot. The material exerted neuroprotective effects by modulating metabolic abnormalities in AD modelC. elegans. Our study provides a new foundation for the development of functional food properties and functions.Keywords:Alzheimer’s disease;Smilax chinaL.;β-amyloid;Caenorhabditis elegans;metabolomics;neuroprotective