The present study evaluates the Murraya Koenigii (CuLE) and Tinospora Crispa (TiSE) antimutagenic effect and the impact of industrial soil and solid waste leachate on Drosophila larvae. Larvae were exposed to leachate prepared at different pH (7, 4.93, 2.88) and treated with TiSE and CuLE at different concentration (4 g/L and 6 g/L) mixed with standard Drosophila medium. Emphasis was given to the binding interaction of heavy metals with proteins in Drosophila. The change in structure and molecular composition in Drosophila by leachate containing heavy metals induced toxicity has been studied by using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Results from the study demonstrated that CuLE/TiSE administration restored the level of oxidative stress as evidenced by an enhanced antioxidant system and a decrease in lipid peroxidation and protein oxidation. The amide I and amide II bands spectral shifting revealed the binding interaction. The shift in the peak of PO2- asymmetric stretching might be due to compositional changes in nucleic acids. Single-cell electrophoresis was performed to detect the DNA damage which also proved to be ameliorated by administration of CuLE/TiSE. The result concludes that CuLE/TiSE may have great potential in the protection of Drosophila larvae from leachate induced oxidative stress through antioxidant and antimutagenic mechanisms this might help to cope with environmental toxicants.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma

Tinospora crispa is a native of the rainforests and deciduous forests of Asia. It is widely used as traditional medicines to treat various health problems. Various studies have reported that Tinospora crispa is a rich source of flavonoids and alkaloids which have strong antioxidant properties. Studies based on DPPH, FRAP and TBA assays the aqueous plant extracts have rich antioxidant behavior compared with BHT and Vitamin C (Zulkairi et al., 2009). In this study, we examined the role of Tinospora crispa aqueous plant extracts for evaluation of antioxidant properties in the model organism Drosophila melanogaster. The different plant extracts (PEs) was used across a concentration gradient and increasing age of fly on biomarker of oxidative stress in the standard regime of Drosophila melanogaster. The results from the Tinospora crispa plant extracts approach of antioxidant behavior were confirmed by various experimental parameters of physiology (Survivorship, Fecundity, SOD, Catalase, MDA, Phenoloxidase, and Protein carbonylation) and physical fitness (Chill Coma Recovery Time and Negative Geotactic Movement). Also, these studies may be helpful to control oxidative damage in the body that may help to improve the healthy lifespan.

The free radicals (ROS and RNS) damage to proteins, DNA, lipids of the cell. These free radicals creates the imbalance in physiological functions and acts as a prevalent cause of various diseases such as cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, aging, oxidative stress and metabolic syndrome by dysfunction of antioxidant enzyme system of cell. Using the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster Meigen, 1830 (Diptera) as a model we examined the antioxidant properties of Murraya koenigii (L.) Sprengel (Rutaceae) on the life history parameters. We demonstrate a novel physiological interaction between free radicals, oxidative stress and antioxidant enzyme system by using extracts of M. koenigii in standard diet of the fly. This study describes how this interaction impacts a very early cellular defect associated with ageing and ageing associate diseases. We also describe progressive deficits in flies expressing the superoxide dismutase gene, catalase and lipid peroxidation. Collectively, our work demonstrates that Drosophila can be used to study the cellular, physiological and behavioral basis of human ageing related diseases.

Original Research Article 1. The free radicals (ROS and RNS) damage to proteins, DNA, lipids of the cell. These free radicals creates the imbalance in physiological functions and acts as a prevalent cause of various diseases such as cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, aging, oxidative stress and metabolic syndrome by dysfunction of antioxidant enzyme system of cell. Using the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, as a model we examined the antioxidant properties of Murraya koenigii on the life history parameters. We demonstrate a novel physiological interaction between free radicals, oxidative stress and antioxidant enzyme system by using extracts of Murraya koenigii in standard diet of the fly. This study describes how this interaction impacts a very early cellular defect associated with ageing and ageing associate diseases. We also describe progressive deficits in flies expressing the superoxide dismutase gene, catalase and lipid peroxidation. Collectively, our work demonstrates that Drosophila can be used to study the cellular, physiological and behavioral basis of human ageing related diseases.

Infection related studies in Drosophila melanogaster provide insight into both mechanisms of host resistance and pathogens tolerance. The advantages of the fly as an experimental system include its genetic tractability, short life span and the observable possibility and to quantitatively analyse behavioral responses. At present ,research has been limited by the relatively few metrics that can be used to measure health and illness during the course of infection. Here by, we explain the pleiotropic measurements of infection-related declines in flies performance on two different assays. D. melanogaster are somewhat slower to recover from an induced chill coma after fungal infection with Beauveria bassiana . Due to fungal infection, flies performance also gets affected during a negative geotaxis assay, revealing a decrease in their behavioral response. In addition, to provide new advancements for assessing health, these non-lethal assays also suggest many pathological consequences and also up and downs of metabolic that may occur over the entire course of an infection.

If aging is due to or contributed by free radical reactions, as postulated by the free radical theory of aging, lifespan of organisms should be extended by administration of exogenous antioxidants In the present study, we tested the effect of larval diet supplementation with five different concentrations of Aloe vera gel on the adult longevity of short-lived D melanogaster populations. A vera gel supplementation of larval diet extended adult longevity in both the male and female flies without reducing fecundity but by efficient reactive oxygen species scavenging through increased antioxidant enzymes activity and better neuroprotection as indicated by increased locomotor activity in adult males.

In the present study, we tested the hypothesis whether flight-related traits such as wing area, flight-muscle ratio, wing loading and dispersal yield evidence of geographical variation in nine wild-collected as well as laboratory-reared (at 21°C) latitudinal populations of Drosophila melanogaster from the Indian subcontinent. We observed positive clinal variation in the wing–thorax ratio, wing aspect ratio and wing area, along a latitudinal gradient for both the sexes. In contrast, geographical changes in three parameters of flight ability, i.e. flight-muscle ratio, wing loading and dispersal, showed negative correlation withlatitude. On the basis of isofemale line variability, we observed positive correlation of wing loading with flight-muscle ratio as well as dispersal behaviour in both the sexes. We also found positive correlation between duration of development and wing area. Interestingly, southern populations of D. melanogaster from warm and humid habitats exhibited higher flight-muscle ratio as well as the higher wing loading than northern populations which occur in cooler and drier climatic conditions. Laboratory tests for dispersal-related walking behaviour showed significantly higher values for southern populations compared with northern populations of D. melanogaster . Multiple regression analysis of geographical changes in flight-muscle ratio, wing loading as well as walking behaviour as a function of average temperature and relative humidity of the origin of populations in wild-collected flies have suggested adaptive changes in flight-related traits in response to steeper gradients of climatic factors in the Indian subcontinent. Finally, adaptive latitudinal variations in flight-related traits in D. melanogaster are consistent with results of other studies from different continents despite differences due to specific climatic conditions in the Indian subontinent.

在印度次大陆的亚热带地区,秋天冷而干燥,春天湿润.变温性果蝇所具有的抗干燥性有助于其度过较为干旱的气候条件.Drosophila jambulina具有体色二型性.已有研究表明,随湿度变化,D.jambulina热带种群始终保持体色多型性,这与热条件下体色黑化相反,且该热带物种中体色分化频率随季节性变化,这符合黑化-干燥假说.但是两种色型的D.jambulina产生这类气候适应的机理尚不明了.为了检验干燥相关性状生理基础的分化与对气候条件的色型特异性适应相关这一假说,我们利用分别在17℃和25℃、低湿(40％ RH)和高湿(80％ RH)条件下饲养获得的两种色型的D.jambulina,检测了其水分平衡对相对湿度、温度、及温湿度相互作用的反应.我们发现,在低相对湿度下,两种温度下饲养的深色型果蝇的生理和脱水性状数值显著高于浅色型.对两种色型果蝇的水分收支情况进行的比较分析表明,在低相对湿度下,深色型果蝇的含水量较高、水分损失率较低、抗脱水能力较强,使其具有更强的抗干燥性.在干燥胁迫过程中,两种色型的果蝇均以碳水化合物作为代谢燃料,但是在低湿条件下,深色果蝇中贮存碳水化合物的含量明显要高.而且,在两种湿度条件下,这两种色型果蝇之间的总能量收支显著不同.据此认为,D.jambulina的水分平衡相关性状表现出的色型特异性分化与其对湿热生境的适应相关.