Journal article

Publication year: 2016

Pages: 948-958

Journal: The FASEB Journal

Volume number: 30

Issue number: 2

ISSN: 0892-6638

DOI Link: https://doi.org/10.1096/fj.15-282061

Publisher: Wiley

Abstract: 
Dietary isoflavones, a group of secondary plant compounds that exhibit phytoestrogenic properties, are primarily found in soy. Prunetin, a representative isoflavone, was recently found to affect cell signaling in cultured cells; however, in vivo effects remain elusive. In this study, the model organism Drosophila melanogaster was used to investigate the effects of prunetin in vivo with respect to lifespan, locomotion, body composition, metabolism, and gut health. Adult flies were chronically administered a prunetin-supplemented diet. Prunetin improved median survival by 3 d, and climbing activity increased by 54% in males. In comparison with the females, male flies exhibited lower climbing activity, which was reversed by prunetin intake. Furthermore, prunetin-fed males exhibited increased expression of the longevity gene Sirtuin 1 (Sir2) (22%), as well as elevated AMPK activation (51%) and triglyceride levels (29%), whereas glucose levels decreased (36%). As females are long-lived compared with their male counterparts and exhibit higher triglyceride levels, prunetin apparently "feminizes" male flies via its estrogenicity. We conclude that the lifespan-prolonging effects of prunetin in the male fruit fly depend on changes in AMPK-regulated energy homeostasis via male "feminization." Collectively, we identified prunetin as a plant bioactive compound capable of improving health status and survival in male D. melanogaster.

Harvard Citation style: Piegholdt, S., Rimbach, G. and Wagner, A. (2016) The phytoestrogen prunetin affects body composition and improves fitness and lifespan in male Drosophila melanogaster, The FASEB Journal, 30(2), pp. 948-958. https://doi.org/10.1096/fj.15-282061

APA Citation style: Piegholdt, S., Rimbach, G., & Wagner, A. (2016). The phytoestrogen prunetin affects body composition and improves fitness and lifespan in male Drosophila melanogaster. The FASEB Journal. 30(2), 948-958. https://doi.org/10.1096/fj.15-282061