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Updated: Sep 3, 2025
A Planarian Motility Assay to Gauge the Biomodulating Properties of Natural Products
Published on: May 30, 2020
Energy drink produces aversive effects in planarians
Prateek Mokkarala1, Aryan Shekarabi2, Sonita Wiah2
1Center for Substance Abuse Research, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA; Department of Chemistry, Temple University College of Science and Technology, Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA.
Abstract:
Energy drinks pose consumer and environmental risks. One of the few organisms suitable for investigating both risks are planarians, which display mammalian-like behavioral effects during drug exposure and reside in aquatic environments. We investigated effects of Monster Energy® (0.001 - 10%) on planarian behaviors using established assays. For acute exposure, only higher concentrations reduced motility (>1%) and caused stereotypies (>1%). Lower concentrations (0.1-1%) enhanced light avoidance, a measure of defensive responding. In place conditioning experiments conducted with low concentrations (0.0001%-0.1%), planarians avoided the energy drink-paired side. These results suggest that Monster Energy® causes aversive effects in aquatic life such as planarians.
