Extension of the lifespan of Caenorhabditis elegans by the use of electrolyzed reduced water

Electrolyzed reduced water (ERW) has attracted much attention because of its therapeutic effects. In the present study, a new culture medium, which we designated Water medium, was developed to elucidate the effects of ERW on the lifespan of Caenorhabditis elegans. Wild-type C. elegans had a significantly shorter lifespan in Water medium than in conventional S medium. However, worms cultured in ERW-Water medium exhibited a significantly extended lifespan (from 11% to 41%) compared with worms cultured in ultrapure water-Water medium. There was no difference between the lifespans of worms cultured in ERW-S medium and ultrapure water-S medium. Nematodes cultured in ultrapure water-Water medium showed significantly higher levels of reactive oxygen species than those cultured in ultrapure water-S medium. Moreover, ERW-Water medium significantly reduced the ROS accumulation induced in the worms by paraquat, suggesting that ERW-Water medium extends the longevity of nematodes at least partly by scavenging ROS.