The nematode perspective: Caenorhabditis elegans as a versatile biosensor for pesticide toxicity and mechanistic studies

Caenorhabditis elegans, owing to its genetic manipulability, short life cycle, and well-characterized biological features, has been widely utilized in toxicological research and has emerged as an ideal model organism for evaluating pesticide toxicity. A growing number of studies published in the past five years (2020-2025) have employed this model to systematically investigate the multifaceted toxicological effects of pesticides on biological systems. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the latest advances in pesticide toxicity research using C. elegans, covering multiple key toxicological endpoints, including developmental abnormalities, neurotoxicity, reproductive impairment, oxidative stress, and apoptosis. By summarizing detection methods, molecular mechanisms, and dose-dependent responses associated with these endpoints, this work outlines an integrated framework for pesticide toxicity assessment. Moreover, this review highlights the significant value of C. elegans in elucidating antioxidant defense mechanisms, identifying toxicity biomarkers, and facilitating the design of environmentally friendly pesticides, thereby offering theoretical and experimental insights for future pesticide safety evaluation and mechanistic studies.