An Alzheimer’s disease-associated mutant of C. elegans displays mechanosensory sensitivity following exposure to lavender extracts
- 1Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, United States
Abstract
Lavandula angustifolia (lavender) extract displayed antioxidant properties in mammalian studies and has been promoted as a candidate neurotherapeutic for Alzheimer's disease (AD). To better inform its clinical utility, we exposed wildtype (N2) and spr-4 mutant strains of C. elegans to extracts from this lavender species and examined animals for neurobehavioral changes in a mechanosensory phenotype. Importantly, spr-4 encodes the worm ortholog of repressor element 1-silencing transcription factor (REST), an established genetic modifier of AD. While low concentrations of lavender did not alter behavioral responses, spr-4 mutants selectively displayed neuronal vulnerability at the highest concentration tested, thereby revealing dose-responsive, lavender-associated neurotoxicity.
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BibTeX
@article{schlein2026alzheimers,
title = {{An Alzheimer’s disease-associated mutant of C. elegans displays mechanosensory sensitivity following exposure to lavender extracts}},
author = {Melissa L. Schlein and Cayman A. Stephen and Guy A. Caldwell and Lukasz Ciesla and Kim A. Caldwell},
journal = {microPublication Biology},
year = {2026},
month = jun,
doi = {10.17912/micropub.biology.002220},
url = {https://doi.org/10.17912/micropub.biology.002220},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - An Alzheimer’s disease-associated mutant of C. elegans displays mechanosensory sensitivity following exposure to lavender extracts
AU - Melissa L. Schlein
AU - Cayman A. Stephen
AU - Guy A. Caldwell
AU - Lukasz Ciesla
AU - Kim A. Caldwell
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/06/01
JO - microPublication Biology
DO - 10.17912/micropub.biology.002220
UR - https://doi.org/10.17912/micropub.biology.002220
AB - Lavandula angustifolia (lavender) extract displayed antioxidant properties in mammalian studies and has been promoted as a candidate neurotherapeutic for Alzheimer's disease (AD). To better inform its clinical utility, we exposed wildtype (N2) and spr-4 mutant strains of C. elegans to extracts from this lavender species and examined animals for neurobehavioral changes in a mechanosensory phenotype. Importantly, spr-4 encodes the worm ortholog of repressor element 1-silencing transcription factor (REST), an established genetic modifier of AD. While low concentrations of lavender did not alter behavioral responses, spr-4 mutants selectively displayed neuronal vulnerability at the highest concentration tested, thereby revealing dose-responsive, lavender-associated neurotoxicity.
SN - 2578-9430
ER -