The Effects of Curcumin on Antioxidation and Aging in Drosophila

To evaluate the effects of curcumin on antioxidant ability and lifespan, Drosophila melanogaster were fed with diets containing 0, 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5mg/g of media. The results showed that the lifespan of D.melanogaster treated with 1.0mg/g and 1.5mg/g curcumin were dramatically extended (P 0.05) compared to the control group (0mg/g). The time of 50% survival were increased 11% and 19% in flies fed with 1mg/g and 1.5mg/g respectively, associated with 26% and 31% increases in mean lifespan. The results further showed that treatment with curcumin (1mg/g) reduced the expression of several age-related genes such as dInR, BD-2, Hsp68 and GstD1. Moreover, the curcumin increased the activities of superoxide dismutase and catalase, and decreased the level of malonaldehyde in a dose-dependent manner. Especially, The CAT activity in D.melanogaster treated with 1.5mg/g curcumin was 3-fold of that in control, and the level of MDA was reduced by half. The results suggest that dietary curcumin prolongs lifespan by free radical scavenging and improving the antioxidation ability.