Abstract
Using the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, we investigated the effects of Rhodiola on life-span. Rhodiola is a plant root used in traditional Chinese medicine that may increase an organism's resistance to stress. It has been proposed that Rhodiola can extend longevity and improve health span by alleviating oxidative stress. Rhodiola supplied every other day at 30 mg/mL significantly increased the lifespan of Drosophila melanogaster. When comparing the distribution of deaths between Rhodiola-supplemented and control flies, Rhodiola-fed flies exhibited decelerated aging. Although the observed extension in lifespan was associated with statistically insignificant reductions in fecundity, correcting for a possible dietary restriction effect still did not eliminate the difference between supplemented and control flies, nor does the effect of Rhodiola depend on dietary manipulation, strongly suggesting that Rhodiola is not a mere dietary restriction mimetic. Although this study does not reveal the causal mechanism behind the effect of Rhodiola, it does suggest that the supplement is worthy of continued investigation, unlike the other Chinese herbals, Lu Duo Wei (LDW), Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang (BZYQT), San Zhi Pian (SZP, Three Imperial Mushrooms), Hong Jing Tian (Rhodiola) that were evaluated in this study.
Highlights
IN DEVELOPED COUNTRIES, chronological age is the most significant risk factor for noncontagious disease.[1]
The genetic methods applied to these model systems are not appropriately applied to humans, the pathways that they reveal are considered helpful clues for pharmacological intervention
All Drosophila melanogaster stocks used in these experiments were derived from a sample of the Amherst, Massachusetts, Ives population that was collected in 1975 and cultured at moderate to large population sizes ever since.[15,16]
Summary
IN DEVELOPED COUNTRIES, chronological age is the most significant risk factor for noncontagious disease.[1] it is understandable that many suppose that understanding the aging process might play a major role in the development of therapies to slow or alleviate age-related diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, and cognitive disorders. Some further imagine that such “anti-aging” measures include dieting, weight control, exercise, and stress management. These are all desirable interventions, patient compliance with these measures is a considerable obstacle to overcome for health professionals. The genetic mapping of aging in animal models has opened the door for “anti-aging” drug discovery
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