Broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. botrytis L.) improves the survival and up-regulates endogenous antioxidant enzymes in Drosophila melanogaster challenged with reactive oxygen species

BACKGROUND: The fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster) is commonly used as an ageing model. It is unknown if commonly consumed vegetables can affect the survival of fruit fly. The present study was to investigate effect of broccoli, cabbage, Chinese cabbage and carrot on the survival time of Drosophila melanogaster, when the flies were challenged with superoxide anion (paraquat) and hydrogen peroxide. RESULTS: The paraquat and hydrogen peroxide survival tests found that broccoli extracts (BE) was most effective in prolonging the mean survival time compared with the control and other three vegetable extracts. The prolongation of survival time by BE was dose-dependent in range of 1-50 mg mL(-1) diet. Supplementation of BE reduced not only total body lipid hydroperoxide level (LPO) but also increased the activity of copper-zinc containing superoxide dismutase (CuZnSOD), manganese containing SOD (MnSOD) and catalase. RT-PCR analysis indicated that the increase in enzymatic activities of SOD and catalase was mediated by up-regulation of genes for CuZnSOD, MnSOD and catalase. CONCLUSION: The free-radical scavenging activity of BE in Drosophila melanogaster was mediated, at least in part, by up-regulation of endogenous antioxidant enzymes at both the transcriptional and translational level. (c) 2007 Society of Chemical Industry.