scholarly journals Impact of Dietary Potassium Nitrate on the Life Span of Drosophila melanogaster

Processes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. 1270
Author(s):  
Tomas Liubertas ◽  
Jonas Poderys ◽  
Zigmantaite Vilma ◽  
Sandrija Capkauskiene ◽  
Pranas Viskelis
Keyword(s):  
Nitric Oxide ◽  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Life Span ◽  
Healthy Aging ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Fruit Fly ◽  
Potassium Nitrate ◽  
World Population ◽  
Nitrate Medium ◽  
Locomotor Function

The recently defined and yet rather new topic of healthy aging is attracting more attention worldwide. As the world population is getting older, it is rapidly becoming essential to develop and maintain functional abilities at older age and develop mechanisms to protect the senior population from chronic diseases. One of the most effective components, as well as processes associated with aging, is the recently discovered and Nobel prize-awarded—nitric oxide (NO) (as a signaling molecule), which, followed by later discoveries, showed to have a positive metabolic, immunological, and anti-inflammatory effect. Nitrates are one of the most debated topics of the last decade in the scientific community due to their pathways involved in the production of nitric oxide. Thus, the objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of different potassium nitrate concentrate supplementation on Drosophila melanogaster longevity imitating a human carbohydrate-based diet with relationship to possible cause of oxidative stress. Influence of 0.5–3% potassium nitrate medium on the lifespan and motor function in different groups consisting of 100 fruit fly females in each was analyzed. In this assay, female fly species supplemented with potassium nitrate diet showed life span increase by 18.6% and 5.1% with 1% and 2% KNO3, respectively, with a positive impact on locomotor function. In conclusion, we found that low concentration of potassium nitrate medium increased lifespan and locomotor function in Drosophila melanogaster.

The Male Silkworm Moth (Antheraea pernyi) is a Key Ingredient in Hu-Bao and Sheng-Bao for Specific Prolongation of the Life-Span of the Male Fruit Fly (Drosophila melanogaster)

2002 ◽  
Vol 30 (02n03) ◽  
pp. 263-270 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kai Hu ◽  
Qiongmei Wang ◽  
Paul Q. Hu
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Trials ◽  
Natural Products ◽  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Life Span ◽  
Culture Medium ◽  
Specific Effect ◽  
Fruit Fly ◽  
Therapeutic Effects ◽  
Health Products ◽  
Significant Life

It is well established in Traditional Chinese Medicine that certain natural products, such as male silkworm moths, have different therapeutic effects on men than on women. These natural products have been used as dietary supplements specifically formulated for men or for women. However, this presumed sex-specific effect of certain natural products has not yet been confirmed experimentally with animal models or in human clinical trials. Here, using the fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster) as a longevity model, we examined the effect of Hu-Bao (HB) and Seng-Bao (SB), two marketed health products made from a mixture of natural ingredients. Our results convincingly demonstrate that the effect of HB and SB are indeed specific for the male fly. The life-span of the male was significantly increased when HB or SB was added to the culture medium. In contrast, neither HB nor SB had much effect on the female fly. Upon removal of the male silkworm moth ingredient from HB or SB, the life-span prolongation effect of HB and SB was drastically diminished. Only with the addition of the male silkworm moth did the culture medium show a statistically significant life-span prolongation effect. This result suggests that the male silkworm moth is a key ingredient, in combination with other components, for specific prolongation of the life-span of male flies.

scholarly journals Balance Between Macronutrients Affects Life Span and Functional Senescence in Fruit Fly Drosophila melanogaster

2011 ◽  
Vol 67A (2) ◽  
pp. 118-125 ◽  
Author(s):  
O. V. Lushchak ◽  
D. V. Gospodaryov ◽  
B. M. Rovenko ◽  
A. D. Glovyak ◽  
I. S. Yurkevych ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Life Span ◽  
Fruit Fly

scholarly journals Genetic Influences of the Microbiota on the Life Span of Drosophila melanogaster

2020 ◽  
Vol 86 (10) ◽  
Author(s):  
Melinda K. Matthews ◽  
Hailey Wilcox ◽  
Rachel Hughes ◽  
Madeline Veloz ◽  
Austin Hammer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Life Span ◽  
Fruit Fly ◽  
Vitamin B ◽  
Methionine Metabolism ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Methionine Restriction ◽  
Host Life ◽  
Bacterial Genes

ABSTRACT To better understand how associated microorganisms (“microbiota”) influence organismal aging, we focused on the model organism Drosophila melanogaster. We conducted a metagenome-wide association (MGWA) as a screen to identify bacterial genes associated with variation in the D. melanogaster life span. The results of the MGWA predicted that bacterial cysteine and methionine metabolism genes influence fruit fly longevity. A mutant analysis, in which flies were inoculated with Escherichia coli strains bearing mutations in various methionine cycle genes, confirmed a role for some methionine cycle genes in extending or shortening fruit fly life span. Initially, we predicted these genes might influence longevity by mimicking or opposing methionine restriction, an established mechanism for life span extension in fruit flies. However, follow-up transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq) and metabolomic experiments were generally inconsistent with this conclusion and instead implicated glucose and vitamin B6 metabolism in these influences. We then tested if bacteria could influence life span through methionine restriction using a different set of bacterial strains. Flies reared with a bacterial strain that ectopically expressed bacterial transsulfuration genes and lowered the methionine content of the fly diet also extended female D. melanogaster life span. Taken together, the microbial influences shown here overlap with established host genetic mechanisms for aging and therefore suggest overlapping roles for host and microbial metabolism genes in organismal aging. IMPORTANCE Associated microorganisms (“microbiota”) are intimately connected to the behavior and physiology of their animal hosts, and defining the mechanisms of these interactions is an urgent imperative. This study focuses on how microorganisms influence the life span of a model host, the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. First, we performed a screen that suggested a strong influence of bacterial methionine metabolism on host life span. Follow-up analyses of gene expression and metabolite abundance identified stronger roles for vitamin B6 and glucose than methionine metabolism among the tested mutants, possibly suggesting a more limited role for bacterial methionine metabolism genes in host life span effects. In a parallel set of experiments, we created a distinct bacterial strain that expressed life span-extending methionine metabolism genes and showed that this strain can extend fly life span. Therefore, this work identifies specific bacterial genes that influence host life span, including in ways that are consistent with the expectations of methionine restriction.

scholarly journals Effect of Alkaloid Extract from African Jointfir (Gnetum africanum) Leaves on Manganese-Induced Toxicity in Drosophila melanogaster

2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ganiyu Oboh ◽  
Opeyemi Babatunde Ogunsuyi ◽  
Olatunde Isaac Awonyemi ◽  
Victor Ayomide Atoki
Keyword(s):  
Nitric Oxide ◽  
Reactive Oxygen Species ◽  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Survival Rate ◽  
Ache Activity ◽  
Fruit Fly ◽  
Locomotor Performance ◽  
Oxygen Species ◽  
Novel Therapies ◽  
Wild Type

Metal-induced toxicity in fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster) is one of the established models for studying neurotoxicity and neurodegenerative diseases. Phytochemicals, especially alkaloids, have been reported to exhibit neuroprotection. Here, we assessed the protective effect of alkaloid extract from African Jointfir (Gnetum africanum) leaf on manganese- (Mn-) induced toxicity in wild type fruit fly. Flies were exposed to 10 mM Mn, the alkaloid extract and cotreatment of Mn plus extract, respectively. The survival rate and locomotor performance of the flies were assessed 5 days posttreatment, at which point the flies were homogenized and assayed for acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity, nitric oxide (NO), and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels. Results showed that the extract significantly reverted Mn-induced reduction in the survival rate and locomotor performance of the flies. Furthermore, the extract counteracted the Mn-induced elevation in AChE activity, NO, and ROS levels. The alkaloid extract of the African Jointfir leaf may hence be a source of useful phytochemicals for the development of novel therapies for the management of neurodegeneration.

scholarly journals Mechanisms of Life Span Extension by Rapamycin in the Fruit Fly Drosophila melanogaster

2010 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-46 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ivana Bjedov ◽  
Janne M. Toivonen ◽  
Fiona Kerr ◽  
Cathy Slack ◽  
Jake Jacobson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Life Span ◽  
Fruit Fly ◽  
Life Span Extension

scholarly journals Cinnamaldehyde Improves Lifespan and Healthspan in Drosophila melanogaster Models for Alzheimer’s Disease

2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hanh M. Pham ◽  
Anna Xu ◽  
Samuel E. Schriner ◽  
Evgueni A. Sevrioukov ◽  
Mahtab Jafari
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Short Term Memory ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Fruit Fly ◽  
Cinnamon Extract ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Climbing Ability ◽  
The Impact

Cinnamon extract has been reported to have positive effects in fruit fly and mouse models for Alzheimer’s disease (AD). However, cinnamon contains numerous potential active compounds that have not been individually evaluated. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of cinnamaldehyde, a known putative active compound in cinnamon, on the lifespan and healthspan of Drosophila melanogaster models for Alzheimer’s disease, which overexpress Aβ42 and MAPT (Tau). We found that cinnamaldehyde significantly improved the lifespan of both AD and non-AD flies. Cinnamaldehyde also improved the healthspan of AD flies overexpressing the Tau protein by improving climbing ability, evaluated by rapid iterative negative geotaxis (RING), and improving short-term memory, evaluated by a courtship conditioning assay. Cinnamaldehyde had no positive impact on the healthspan of AD flies overexpressing the Aβ42 protein.

scholarly journals Hox dosage contributes to flight appendage morphology in Drosophila

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel Paul ◽  
Guillaume Giraud ◽  
Katrin Domsch ◽  
Marilyne Duffraisse ◽  
Frédéric Marmigère ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Differential Expression ◽  
Hox Genes ◽  
Expression Profiles ◽  
Fruit Fly ◽  
Insect Species ◽  
Wing Morphology ◽  
Hox Proteins ◽  
Spatial Expression ◽  
Flying Insects

AbstractFlying insects have invaded all the aerial space on Earth and this astonishing radiation could not have been possible without a remarkable morphological diversification of their flight appendages. Here, we show that characteristic spatial expression profiles and levels of the Hox genes Antennapedia (Antp) and Ultrabithorax (Ubx) underlie the formation of two different flight organs in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. We further demonstrate that flight appendage morphology is dependent on specific Hox doses. Interestingly, we find that wing morphology from evolutionary distant four-winged insect species is also associated with a differential expression of Antp and Ubx. We propose that variation in the spatial expression profile and dosage of Hox proteins is a major determinant of flight appendage diversification in Drosophila and possibly in other insect species during evolution.

scholarly journals Quantitative investigation reveals distinct phases in Drosophila sleep

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaochan Xu ◽  
Wei Yang ◽  
Binghui Tian ◽  
Xiuwen Sui ◽  
Weilai Chi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
General Pattern ◽  
Model Organism ◽  
Infrared Camera ◽  
Fruit Fly ◽  
Genetic Dissection ◽  
Power Law Distribution ◽  
Quantitative Investigation ◽  
Waking Up ◽  
Set Up

AbstractThe fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, has been used as a model organism for the molecular and genetic dissection of sleeping behaviors. However, most previous studies were based on qualitative or semi-quantitative characterizations. Here we quantified sleep in flies. We set up an assay to continuously track the activity of flies using infrared camera, which monitored the movement of tens of flies simultaneously with high spatial and temporal resolution. We obtained accurate statistics regarding the rest and sleep patterns of single flies. Analysis of our data has revealed a general pattern of rest and sleep: the rest statistics obeyed a power law distribution and the sleep statistics obeyed an exponential distribution. Thus, a resting fly would start to move again with a probability that decreased with the time it has rested, whereas a sleeping fly would wake up with a probability independent of how long it had slept. Resting transits to sleeping at time scales of minutes. Our method allows quantitative investigations of resting and sleeping behaviors and our results provide insights for mechanisms of falling into and waking up from sleep.

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