The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans as an innovative tool for studying foodborne metabolites and emerging pathogens in the food industry

In the last few decades, various epidemiological evidence has reinforced the concept that diet plays an important role in human health, showing that the type, composition and amount of food consumed can all be linked to the promotion and/or maintenance of a healthy state of being. Traditional fermented functional foods are increasingly being considered healthy and interest in their nutritional and health impact, as well as demand for them, is continuously increasing. Their health benefits are linked to functional microorganisms. These microorganisms may contribute to food functionality exerting a biogenic effect due to the release of active metabolites and bioactive compounds during food processing. Fermented foods are complex and dynamic systems in which microbial populations interact. The technology for production and conservation of foods can influence the development or inhibition of specific bacterial species which are difficult to detect applying the classical microbiological techniques. The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans represents an innovative tool for studying foodborne metabolites and emerging pathogens in the food industry. This free-living nematode provides several practical and experimental advantages, including a short life-cycle, and easy and economic cultivation in large numbers. Some of the characteristics of the C. elegans immune system are conserved in higher eukaryotic organisms. Together with high-performance functional metagenomic and metabolomic analyses, this nematode represents a good model to investigate the potential adverse effects of food-derived microbial bioactive compounds. The information obtained from these studies will open new avenues for the design of innovative biosensors, suitable for specific and rapid bacterial metabolite detection.