X-Message-Number: 14411
Date: Mon, 4 Sep 2000 05:21:12 -0700 (PDT)
From: Doug Skrecky <>
Subject: 30'th update on fly longevity experiments
This is the 30'th update on my fly longevity experiments. In Run #28
I tested the effect of various food items on fly longevity. I also
looked at evidence of toxicity of an anti-obesity citrus aurantium
extract, which contains 15 mg synephrine.
It was somewhat surprising that synephrine was associated with
reduced late mortality. I will have to have another look at this in
future to see if this advantage was a fluke or not. Coconut juice also
looks worth a second look.
Early survival was increased notably by propolis by the day 11
census, but late survival was actually reduced. The propolis extract also
contained 500 mg of rosehips. If propolis/rosehip antioxidants
deteriorate in solution, this might account for these effects.
Run #28 Percent Survival on Day
supplement 3 7 11 17 20 24 31 35 41 46 51 56
______________________________________________________
control 100 89 68 64 61 57 36 14 14 7 0 -
eggplant skin 100 88 73 64 64 64 52 36 21 15 0 -
mung bean hulls 100 100 70 60 60 50 30 20 5 0 - -
kidney bean hulls 100 95 68 53 53 47 16 11 0 - - -
coconut juice 96 79 71 71 71 67 58 50 42 38 21 4
propolis 100 mg 100 100 90 76 71 62 19 10 5 0 - -
synephrine 15 mg 95 90 60 60 55 55 40 40 30 25 20 10
kudzu root 500 mg 95 89 68 68 63 58 37 21 11 5 0 -
In Run #29 I attempted to stabilize proanthocyanidins with copper
chelators so that the early survival benefits noted in earlier runs with
the grape extract leucoselect, and the pine bark extract pynogenol might
be extended in time.
Possibly due to the already excellent short-term survival of the
controls, leucoselect did not offer any short term advantage. The higher
dosage of pyconogenol did prove to be advantageous, with the usual
increase in early survival, paired to a decrease in late survival when
the proanthocyanidins have oxidized.
Both reservatrol, and rooibos tea can chelate copper. When I added
either of these to proanthocyanidin extracts there was a minor benefit on
survival. When used by itself rooibos tea (1 bag/cup water) yielded the
best overall survival this time around. In future I will have to try
resveratrol by itself as well.
Run #29 Percent Survival on Day
supplement 4 8 14 17 21 28 32 38 43 48 53
_______________________________________________________
control 94 94 72 72 67 61 33 22 0 - -
leucoselect 100 mg 96 91 74 70 61 35 35 9 9 5 0
+resveratrol 50 mg 100 100 60 60 50 45 40 25 20 10 5
+rooibos 100 89 74 74 68 47 47 26 21 5 0
pynogenol 200 mg 100 95 68 68 53 42 37 16 11 5 0
+rooibos 100 83 83 69 66 48 45 24 17 3 0
pynogenol 300 mg 100 95 95 85 75 45 15 10 5 5 0
rooibos 100 100 100 92 85 85 69 54 31 23 7
In a continuation of my cryobiology experimentation, Freezer Run #2
tried to confirm the earlier benefit noted for pycnogenol at a dosage of
200 mg.
Pycnogenol at the 200 mg dosage proved a bust this time, but doubling
the dose to 400 mg appeared to slow freezing damage. This is just
interesting enough that yet another experiment will be needed to
determine if pynogenol feeding really protects flies from freezing
damage.
Note: The milk bottles were placed on their side in the freezer.
Drops of water placed on the milk bottles housing the flies were all
frozen after 1 hour, so it looks very likely the flies themselves were
also frozen, and not merely supercooled. The flies had been stored for 6
days in their respective milk bottles before being placed in the freezer.
A few flies had already died in this time, before the freezer experiment
started.
Freezer Run #2 No. of Percent Survival After
supplement Flies 0 1 12 hours
control 22 86 59 0
20% less water 17 82 29 0
pycogenol 200 mg 21 95 57 0
pycogenol 400 mg 24 88 71 0
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