X-Message-Number: 8461
Date: Tue, 12 Aug 1997 23:03:48 -0700 (PDT)
From: Doug Skrecky <>
Subject: 14'th update on fly longevity experiment 

    This is the fourteenth update on my fly experiments. On day 73 I
 checked the third run for survivors and found none. However after
 smelling the activated charcoal, anise, malt, paprika bottles while
 cleaning them I discovered that none of these smelt bad, indicating that
 it was the lack of pathogens in these bottles that was at least partly
 responsible for their life extending effects. The sage bottle had a
 slight smell.

 Third Run                  Survival
 Supplement            DAY 17 DAY 36 DAY 48 DAY 59 DAY 73
 Control                64%    14%     0%     0%   all 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

    The fourth run was something of a disaster. I intended to find a
 non-toxic bactericide here, but failed badly. The lesson I learnt is that
 by using harsh chemicals to kill bacteria, you can kill flies as well. As
 I washed some bottles on day 34 I noticed that the control bottle smelled
 bad, the paprika and purple yam 4X bottles smelled a little better, but
 the salt bottle had no odor. Only 1 fly each still lives in the purple
 yam and water reduced bottles.

 Fourth Run                           Survival
 Supplement         DAY 10 DAY 24 DAY 34
 Control            100%    56%     0%
 bactine             75      0      0
 bactine 4X          50      0      0
 garlic              20      0      0
 garlic 4X            0      0      0
 KCL                100      0      0
 KCL 4X              71      0      0
 mint listerine       0      0      0
 mint listerine 4X    0      0      0
 paprika             88     38      0
 paprika 4X          50      0      0
 pectin              40      0      0
 plax                60      0      0
 plax 4X              0      0      0
 purple yam          86     48      5
 purple yam 4X       52      5      0
 salt                47     13      0
 salt 4X             38      0      0
 sterisol             0      0      0
 sterisol 4X          0      0      0
 viadent              0      0      0
 viadent 4X           0      0      0
 water reduced 50%   90     30     10

    With the fifth run I decided to try some nontoxic bactericides. After
 reading up on books on food preservation I learnt that high enough
 concentrations of sugars can inhibit bacterial growth. I think it may
 have been the maltose in malt from run #3 that was acting to inhibit
 bacteria. I am also testing sucrose (table sugar), glucose and sorbitol
 to see how these fare as well. I am retesting activated charcoal, anise,
 malt, and paba.
    Rather than continue with my testing of spices I decided to try
 something different - and more expensive - amino acids. I also managed to
 obtain some l-carnosine after much begging. The reason for my interest in
 l-carnosine is that it has been found to rejuvenate the morphology of
 senescent cell cultures that have reached their hayflick limit and can
 not divide anymore. Neither d-carnosine (b-alanyl-d-histidine),
 homocarnosine, anserine nor b-alanine share this curious effect.
 (Experimental Cell Research 212: 167-175 1994) L-carnosine reduces DNA
 oxidation. (Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications 223:
 278-282 1996) L-carnosine inhibits glycosylation. (FEBS Letters 371:81-85
 1995) Unfortunately shortly after recieving some l-carnosine I found out
 that it probably will not work to extend life span in flies since it is
 unlikely to be absorbed intact. It will probably act as a very expensive
 source of b-alanine and l-histidine for my flies. In order for
 l-carnosine to be absorbed it has to be administered in the form of
 acetylcarnosine, which I don't believe is commercially available.
 (Clinica Chimica Acta 254: 1-21 1996) B-alanine has been tested in flies
 with negative results on life span and l-histidine has been tested in
 rodents with negative results as well.
    For the first time I am running several control bottles so as to
 achieve a more stable comparison group. FYI: I use a lot (20 grams) of
 4-24 dry fly medium per bottle, partly because I bought a lot of it a
 while back and partly because I lack the means to accurately weigh small
 quantities of fly food and supplements. I mention the weights of the
 supplements here only if the bottle they are from specifies how much 1/4
 teaspoon weighs. My own guessimates have been notoriously inaccurate in
 the past, since the same volume of different powders can have quite
 different weights. This lack of rigour is not a fatal defect for cheap
 screening experiments, but would have to be rectified for serious
 experimentation. All published fly longevity experiments are done in a
 temperature regulated environment and use age-synchronized flies. I don't
 have air-conditioning and use most flies from several breeding bottles,
 which at least are all started on the same date. For this run I am using
 new breeding bottles, that have not (yet) shown much evidence of
 bacterial contamination.

 Fifth Run
 Supplement:       Quantity
 Control 1
 Control 2
 Control 3
 activated charcoal: 1 capsule (260 mg) / 20 grams 4-24 medium
 activated charcoal 4X: 4 capsules (1040 mg)
 l-alanine: 1/4 teaspoon (1050 mg)
 l-alanine 4X:  1 teaspoon (4200 mg)
 anise: 1/4 teaspoon
 anise 4X: 1 teaspoon
 l-carnosine: 1/8 teaspoon
 l-carnosine 2X: 1/4 teaspoon
 l-carnosine 4X: 1/2 teaspoon
 l-carnosine 8X: 1 teaspoon
 l-cysteine: 1/4 teaspoon
 l-cysteine: 1 teaspoon
 glucose: 1/4 teaspoon
 glucose 4X: 1 teaspoon
 l-glycine: 1/4 teaspoon
 l-glycine 4X: 1 teaspoon
 l-glutamine: 1 capsule (500 mg)
 l-glutamine 4X: 4 capsules (2000 mg)
 l-isoleucine: 1/4 teaspoon
 l-isoleucine 4X: 1 teaspoon
 l-leucine: 1/4 teaspoon
 l-leucine 4X: 1 teaspoon
 malt: 1/4 teaspoon
 malt 4X: 1 teaspoon
 paba: 1 capsule (250 mg) note: (paba capsules also contain dandelion
 paba 4X: 4 capsules (1000 mg)   root and beet powder)
 dl-phenylalanine: 1 capsule (500 mg)
 dl-phenylalanine: 4 capsules (2000 mg)
 l-proline: 1 capsule (500 mg)
 l-proline 4X: 4 capsules (2000 mg)
 sorbitol: 1/4 teaspoon
 sorbitol 4X: 1 teaspoon
 sucrose: 1/4 teaspoon
 sucrose 4X: 1 teaspoon
 l-threonine: 1/4 teaspoon (850 mg)
 l-threonine 4X: 1 teaspoon (3400 mg)
 l-valine: 1/4 teaspoon (750 mg)
 l-valine 4X: 1 teaspoon (3000 mg)

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