Abstract

The effect of Astragalus membranaceus on Caenorhabditis elegans was assessed in this experiment. Parkinson’s Disease directly causes dopamine depletion and other related symptoms. Astragalus contains complex carbohydrates linked to dopamine neuron protection, which could be used to treat Parkinson’s. In this experiment, C.elegans inflicted with Parkinson’s were treated with different concentrations of Astragalus. C.elegans are free-living nematodes that can be genetically engineered to model or stimulate various diseases caused by genetics, Parkinson’s being one of them. The concentrations of astragalus solution were 2 mg/mL, 4 mg/mL, and 8 mg/mL, which were added to the agar that the C.elegans inhabited. Mechanosensory tests included tap reflex and gentle and harsh touch assessment. M9 Buffer was used to inhibit the egg-laying behaviors of C.elegans, and the thrashing rate was assessed for each group. The results indicate that 4 mg/mL is the optimal concentration to treat disease-inflicted C.elegans and had the best results out of the 3 trials. The 4 mg/mL group constantly had the highest tap reflex, gentle, and harsh touch scores that were similar or greater than the wild-type control group. Additionally, the 2 mg/mL also had high scores in trials 2 and 3 in both the gentle and harsh touch assessments. No definite conclusions can be determined from thrashing rate data. The results imply that lower and intermediate concentrations of Astragalus may treat the symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease.