Nectarine promotes longevity in Drosophila melanogaster

Abstract

Fruits containing high antioxidant capacities and other bioactivities are ideal for promoting longevity and healthspan. However, few fruits are known to improve the survival and healthspan in animals, let alone the underlying mechanisms. Here we investigate the effect of nectarine, a globally consumed fruit, on lifespan and healthspan in Drosophila melanogaster. Wild-type flies were fed the standard, dietary restriction (DR) or high fat diets supplemented with 0–4% nectarine extract. We measured lifespan, food intake, locomotor activity, fecundity, gene expression changes, and oxidative damage indicated by the level of 4-Hydroxynonenal-protein adduct in these flies. We also measured lifespan, locomotor activity and oxidative damage of sod1 mutant flies on the standard diet supplemented with 0–4% nectarine. Supplementation of 4% nectarine extended lifespan, increased fecundity and decreased expression of some metabolic genes, including a key gluconeogenesis gene PEPCK, and oxidative stress response genes, including peroxiredoxins, in female wild-type flies fed the standard, DR or high fat diet. Nectarine reduced oxidative damage in wild-type females fed the high fat diet. Moreover, nectarine improved the survival and reduced oxidative damage in female sod1 mutant flies. Together, these findings suggest that nectarine promotes longevity and healthspan partly through modulating glucose metabolism and reducing oxidative damage.

The effect of resveratrol on lifespan depends on both gender and dietary nutrient composition in Drosophila melanogaster

“…Thus, resveratrol uptake should not be much different among these three diets. On the other hand, we previously demonstrated that female flies on the DR and high-fat diets increased food intake in volume by about twofold, when compared to those on the standard base diet (Zeng et al 2011;Boyd et al 2011). Thus, flies ingested about twofold more resveratrol on the DR or high-fat diet, when compared to the base diet with the same concentration of resveratrol.…”

“…Fly stocks were routinely maintained on standard fly cornmeal agar medium at 25±1°C, 60± 5% humidity, and a 12-h light/dark cycle (Ashburner et al 2005). Five types of sugar-, yeast extract-, and palmitic acid-based diets as control diets were prepared as previously described (Boyd et al 2011). The standard base diet contained 10% sugar and 10% yeast extract in weight/volume; the DR diet had 2.5% sugar and 2.5% yeast extract; the high sugar-low protein diet consisted of 18% sugar and 2% yeast extract; the low sugar-high protein diet contained 2% sugar and 18% yeast extract; and the high-fat diet had 10% sugar, 10% yeast extract, and 2% palmitic acid.…”

“…Food intake was measured using the capillary feeder method (CAFE) with minor modifications previously described (Ja et al 2007;Boyd et al 2011). Female flies were fed the high-fat diet with or without 400 μM resveratrol until they were 14 days old.…”

“…The transcript level of each gene was normalized to the internal control gene ribosomal protein L32 (Rpl32). The primer sequences for all genes in this study were described in a previous publication (Boyd et al 2011). …”

“…No effect supplementation of resveratrol does not extend lifespan under the specified diet condition; Increase supplementation of resveratrol extends lifespan under the specified diet condition method. Expression of double-stranded RNA was induced from the UAS-sod1IR (inverted repeat) transgene by a ubiquitously expressed GAL4, daughterless (da)-Gal4, as previously described (Boyd et al 2011;Martin et al 2009). The sod1 knockdown flies were called sod1RNAi flies here.…”