X-Message-Number: 8428
Date: Thu, 31 Jul 1997 00:29:55 -0700 (PDT)
From: Doug Skrecky <>
Subject: 13'th update on fly longevity experiments
This is the thirteenth update on my fly experiments. The most recent
results are as follows:
Third Run Survival
Supplement DAY 17 DAY 36 DAY 48 DAY 59
Control 64% 14% 0% 0%
Activated charcoal 87 31 15 4
Amchoor 73 42 8 0
Angelica 56 18 0 0
Anise 45 43 19 4
Bay 69 0 0 0
Beet 62 0 0 0
Betaine HCL 82 27 0 0
Carrot 40 0 0 0
Celery seed 90 0 0 0
Citrus bioflavonoids 65 5 0 0
Comfrey 88 0 0 0
Dill seed 82 0 0 0
Green pea 76 8 0 0
Hydroxycitric acid 47 0 0 0
Kelp 64 7 12 0
Malt 83 34 18 3
Melatonin 54 31 6 0
Melatonin 2X 70 29 6 0
Melatonin 4X 65 6 0 0
Nicotinamide 6X 28 0 0 0
Paprika 69 43 29 7
Para-aminobenzoic acid 82 17 11 0
Purple yam 92 58 8 0
Rosehip 88 6 6 0
Sage 66 19 7 3
Sage 2X 67 0 0 0
Sage 4X 94 0 0 0
Silica 88 7 0 0
Spinach 40 20 0 0
Tumerin 84 0 0 0
Paprika still leads the pack with a 7% survival on day 59, followed by
anise (4%), activated charcoal (4%), malt (3%) and sage (3%). All flies
in the other bottles are dead. Seeing that the lowest dosage of sage
offered the best survival it is possible that even lower dosages may
offer better results.
One of the items I record in my workbook that I usually do not include
in these updates is the smell of the bottles when I am cleaning them out
after using them in a run. I do this to monitor for supplements with good
antibacterial properties. Only the bottle containing para-aminobenzoic
acid thus far has had no smell. So it is possible that this might be a
good additive to the fly food to prevent it from rotting.
Certainly para-aminobenzoic acid is far less toxic than most of the
bactericides being tested in run #4. Curiously it is the control bottle
that is maintaining 100% survival so far. This is actually what SHOULD
happen in the absence of pathogens. However I am surprised by this since
diseased breeding bottles were used to provide flies for the fourth run.
All of the supplements tested in several doses have always exhibited
the highest survival at the lowest dosage used. This is making me suspect
that I am overdosing my flies with supplements.
Fourth Run Survival
Supplement Alive dead Day 10
Control 9 0 100%
bactine 6 2 75
bactine 4X 4 4 50
garlic 1 4 20
garlic 4X 0 12 0
KCL 9 0 100
KCL 4X 5 2 71
mint listerine 0 10 0
mint listerine 4X 0 8 0
paprika 7 1 88
paprika 4X 4 4 50
pectin 2 3 40
plax 9 6 60
plax 4X 0 20 0
purple yam 18 3 86
purple yam 4X 11 10 52
salt 7 8 47
salt 4X 3 5 38
sterisol 0 9 0
sterisol 4X 0 7 0
viadent 0 7 0
viadent 4X 0 12 0
water reduced 50% 9 1 90
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