Abstract:

Objective: To explore the effect of phlorizin on lifespan in female Drosophila melanogaster and its underlying
mechanism. Methods: Two-day-old flies were reared in media containing 0, 0.5, 2.0 and 5.0 mg/mL phlorizin until they
all died, and then the longest lifespan and mean lifespan were calculated. By paraquat and hydrogen peroxide acute
experiments, the effect of phlorizin on oxidative stress injury in Drosophila melanogaster was determined. The antioxidant
capacity of phlorizin was evaluated by the activities of superoxide dismutase (T-SOD and Cu/Zn-SOD), catalase (CAT)
and malondialdehyde (MDA) content in fruit flies. Real-time PCR was used to detect the expression of antioxidant genes.
Results: Dietary addition of phlorizin could prolong the lifespan of Drosophila melanogaster (especially at 2.0, 5.0 mg/mL,
P < 0.05). The Cu/Zn-SOD and CAT activities were significantly increased and MDA content was significantly decreased by
dietary supplementation of 5.0 mg/mL phlorizin (P < 0.01). Moreover, a significant increase in Cu/Zn-SOD and CAT mRNA
expression (P < 0.01) was found. Conclusion: The anti-aging and antioxidant activity of phlorizin is most likely related to
the regulation of antioxidant gene expression.

Key words: Drosophila melanogaste, phlorizin, lifespan, antioxidant, enzyme activity, gene expression