Dietary Allyl-isothiocyanate affects male triglyceride levels in Drosophila melanogaster without detectable changes in microbiota composition
This project investigates the in vivo impact of dietary allyl-isothiocyanate (AITC) on host metabolism and gut microbiota composition in Drosophila melanogaster as a model for nutritional and metabolic research. Male and female flies were fed a standard diet supplemented with 0.25 mM AITC, with or without antibiotic treatment, for 10 and 30 days. Physiological parameters (body weight, glucose, triglycerides, and survival) were assessed. Microbial community profiles were determined by 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing, for which the V3–V4 region of the gene was amplified using Klindworth primers 5'-CCTACGGGNGGCWGCAG and 3'-GACTACHVGGGTATCTAATCC. Results indicate that AITC does not significantly affect body weight, glucose levels, or survival, but leads to a significant reduction in triglyceride levels in male flies after 30 days, independent of antibiotic treatment, suggesting a sex-specific metabolic response. AITC does not alter microbial alpha or beta diversity, while age and sex significantly shape community composition, with reduced alpha diversity in older flies. These findings suggest that, at the tested concentration, AITC modulates lipid metabolism in a sex-dependent manner without inducing detectable changes in gut microbiota composition.