Organic solvents can influence acetylcholine neurotransmission in Caenorhabditis elegans

BACKGROUND: Identification of novel drugs by bio-prospecting natural products like various parts of the plants, or other extracts and drug discovery requires differential fractionation with various organic solvents followed by their concentration through evaporation under nitrogen gas, which is a standard practice. PURPOSE: Determination of contribution of vehicle control of organic solvents (chloroform, ethanol, ethyl acetate and n-hexane) processed in the similar manner in the modulation of acetylcholine(ACh) neurotransmission in Caenorhabditis elegans, Aldicarb induced paralysis assay. METHODS: The organic solvents concentrated as described in background was used to identify their contribution in ACh modulation through ACh esterase inhibitor, Aldicarb, treatment of C. elegans, which leads to time dependent paralysis of the worms. RESULTS: The vehicle, organic solvents, control itself bestows modulation of acetylcholine release as Aldicarb resistance in C. elegans. CONCLUSION: Given the exorbitant cost and time taken for drug discovery, identification of efficacy of bioactive molecules fractionated through organic solvents and concentrated under nitrogen gas should have appropriate vehicle control as described above to avoid the rate of false positives. This is universally applicable whether the drug is chemically synthesized or purified from natural products.