The Antiaging Effects Of Beta-carotene (Cisisomer) From Dunaliella Salina On Drosophila Melanogaster Rats And Mice

OBJECTIVE To investigate the antiaging effects of beta-carotene(B-C) from dunaiiellasalina (cis isomer) on Drosophila melanogasters, rats and mice and to probe the possiblemechanisms. METHODS The whole study contains Drosophila melanogastersexperiment, rats experiment and learning and memorizing experiment.â‘ In theDrosophila melanogasters experiment, Drosophila melanogasters were divided into ninegroups according to different ingredient in the nutrient medium. We took life span, flightcapability, mating frequency of Drosophila melanogasters aged 8 days, and head MDAcontent of Drosophila melanogasters aged 40 days as index of aging.â‘¡In rats experiment,54 aged male rats were divided randomly into 6 groups and bred for 45 days withdifferent diet. Plasma MDA, CAT and GSH-px were detected. MDA, SOD and GSH-pxin heart, liver, pulmo, lien and brain were also detected.â‘¢In learning and memorizingexperiment, rats or mice were divided randomly into 5 groups and bred for 30 days withdifferent diet.And then the effects ofβ-C on the ability of learning and memorizing ofnormal rats or mice were studied by using step-down test and Y-maze test respectively.Inthe same experiment,the effects ofβ-C on the ability of learning and memorizing of threekinds of model rats, i. e. Scopolamine model, NaNO₂ modeland 20% Alcohol model werealso studied by using step-down test. RESULTS' Compared with control group inDrosophila melanogasters experiment, the shortest life span, maximum life span andaverage life span were increased in each experimental group. Average life had significantdifference, P＜0.01. Flight rate and flight frequency were significantly increased, P＜0.01. Mating frequency of Drosophila melanogasters was also increased. MDA wassignificantly decreased, P＜0.01. In rats experiment, plasma MDA content wassignificantly decreased, P＜0.01. The activity of GSH-px was significantly elevated in25,50rag group, P＜0.01. The activity of CAT was increased significantly in 50mg group,P＜0.01. Similar results were obtained in different tissue. MDA content was significantlydecreased in each tissue sample, P＜0.01或P＜0.05, while the activity of SOD orGSH-px was significantly increased, P＜0.01或P＜0.05. In learning and memorizing experiment,β-C had significant effects on normal mice and rats, and could remarkablyantagonize the memory impairment induced by scopolamine and 20% alcohol, but couldnot antagonize the impairment induced by sodium nitrite. CONCLUSIONβ-C(cisisomer) from dunaliella salina had antiaging effects on Drosophila melanogasters(0.030.24gβ-C in 100ml nutrient medium ) and aged rats (dose range from 12.5mg·kg^-1·d^-1 to50mg·kg^-1·d^-1),The possible mechanism resided in its antioxidative effect owing to theelevated antioxidases;β-C as an antioxidant could improve the ability of learning andmemorizing of rats and mice at dose range from 12.5mg·kg^-1·d^-1 to 50mg·kg^-1·d^-1.