Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) has been reported to reduce fat storage in cell culture and animal models. In the current study, the effects of CLA on the fat accumulation, activities, and proteomics were investigated using Caenorhabditis elegans. 100M CLA-TG nanoemulsion significantly reduced fat accumulation by 29% compared to linoleic acid (LA)-TG treatment via
sir-2.1 (the ortholog of Sirtuin 1), without altering the worm size, growth rate, and pumping rate of C. elegans. CLA significantly increased moving speed and amplitude (the average centroid displacement over the entire track) of wild type worms compared to the LA group and these effects were dependent on
aak-2 (AMPK ortholog) and
sir-2.1. Proteomics analysis showed CLA treatment influences various proteins associated in reproduction and development, translation, metabolic processes, and catabolism and proteolysis, in C. elegans. We have also confirmed the proteomics data that CLA reduced the fat accumulation via
abs-1 (ATP Synthase B homolog). However, there were no significant effects of CLA on brood size, progeny numbers, and hatchability compared to LA treatment.