Ascorbic acid in Drosophila and changes during aging.

H R Massie; M E Shumway; S J Whitney; S M Sternick; V R Aiello

doi:10.1016/0531-5565(91)90037-m

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Ascorbic acid in Drosophila and changes during aging.

H R Massie·M E Shumway·S J Whitney·S M Sternick·V R Aiello

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Abstract

The ascorbic acid content of Drosophila melanogaster was found to be high in the absence of a dietary source. The amount of ascorbic acid per fly declined with aging in both the Oregon R and Swedish C strains. The median life span at 25 degrees C was 45 days for Swedish C and 59 days for Oregon R. The amount of ascorbic acid in Swedish C flies (0.078 micrograms/fly) was higher than that for Oregon R (0.058 micrograms/fly) for newly emerged flies but the rate of decline with aging was greater for Swedish C than Oregon R. The decline in ascorbic acid content with aging was 70.4% for Swedish C versus 19.9% for Oregon R. A brief cold shock was found to significantly increase the amount of ascorbic acid in Oregon R flies. Feeding the precursor of ascorbic acid synthesis, L-gulonolactone, did not improve the life span. Life-time feeding of ascorbic acid did not improve the life span of either Swedish C or Oregon R flies.

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Aging Animals Ascorbic Acid Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid Cold Temperature Diet Drosophila Drug Stability Prodrugs Shock Journal Article Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

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H R Massie, M E Shumway, S J Whitney, S M Sternick, V R Aiello. 1991. Ascorbic acid in Drosophila and changes during aging.. https://doi.org/10.1016/0531-5565(91)90037-m

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