title: Pomegranate Juice Enhances Healthy Lifespan in Drosophila melanogaster: An Exploratory Study.
abstract: Exploring innovative ways to ensure healthy aging of populations is a pre-requisite to contain rising healthcare costs. Scientific research into the principles and practices of traditional medicines can provide new insights and simple solutions to lead a healthy life. Rasayana is a dedicated branch of Ayurveda (an Indian medicine) that deals with methods to increase vitality and delay aging through the use of diet, herbal supplements, and other lifestyle practices. The life-span and health-span enhancing actions of the fruits of pomegranate (Punica granatum L.), a well-known Rasayana, were tested on Drosophila melanogaster (fruitfly) model. Supplementation of standard corn meal with 10% (v/v) pomegranate juice (PJ) extended the life-span of male and female flies by 18 and 8%, respectively. When male and female flies were mixed and reared together, there was 19% increase in the longevity of PJ fed flies, as assessed by MSD, the median survival day (24.8). MSD for control and resveratrol (RV) groups was at 20.8 and 23.1 days, respectively. A two-fold enhancement in fecundity, improved resistance to oxidative stress (H2O2 and paraquat induced) and to Candida albicans infection were observed in PJ fed flies. Further, the flies in the PJ fed group were physically active over an extended period of time, as assessed by the climbing assay. PJ thus outperformed both control and RV groups in the life-span and health-span parameters tested. This study provides the scope to explore the potential of PJ as a nutraceutical to improve health span and lifespan in human beings.
authors.affiliation: Foundation for Revitalisation of Local Health Traditions (FRLHT) , Bangalore , India ; Manipal University , Manipal , India.
authors.forename: Subramani Paranthaman
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Balasubramani
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Reproduction, Development and Genetics, Indian Institute of Science , Bangalore , India.
authors.forename: Jayaram
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mohan
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Reproduction, Development and Genetics, Indian Institute of Science , Bangalore , India.
authors.forename: Arunita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chatterjee
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Reproduction, Development and Genetics, Indian Institute of Science , Bangalore , India.
authors.forename: Esha
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Patnaik
authors.affiliation: Foundation for Revitalisation of Local Health Traditions (FRLHT) , Bangalore , India ; Manipal University , Manipal , India.
authors.forename: Subrahmanya Kumar
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Kukkupuni
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Reproduction, Development and Genetics, Indian Institute of Science , Bangalore , India.
authors.forename: Upendra
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Nongthomba
authors.affiliation: Foundation for Revitalisation of Local Health Traditions (FRLHT) , Bangalore , India.
authors.forename: Padmavathy
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Venkatasubramanian
keywords: Drosophila; anti-aging; ayurveda; pomegranate; rasayana