Chronic exposure to 2,2'-azobis-2-amidinopropane that induces intestinal damage and oxidative stress in larvae of Drosophila melanogaster.

Embryonic development is exceptionally susceptible to pathogenic, chemistry and mechanical stressors as they can disrupt homeostasis, causing damage and impacted viability. Oxidative stress has the capacity to induce alterations and reshape the environment. However, the specific impacts of these oxidative stress-induced damages in the gastrointestinal tract of Drosophila melanogaster larvae have been minimally explored. This study used 2,2-azobis (2-amidinopropane) dihydrochloride (AAPH), a free radical generator, to investigate oxidative stress effects on Drosophila embryo development. The results showed that exposing Drosophila eggs to 30 mM AAPH during 1st instar larva, 2nd instar larva and 3rd instar larva stages significantly reduced hatching rates and pupal generation. It increased the activity of antioxidant enzymes and increased oxidative damage to proteins and MDA content, indicating severe oxidative stress. Morphological changes in 3rd individuals included decreased brush borders in enterocytes and reduced lipid vacuoles in trophocytes, essential fat bodies for insect metabolism. Immunostaining revealed elevated cleaved caspase 3, an apoptosis marker. This evidence validates the impact of oxidative stress toxicity and cell apoptosis following exposure, offering insights into comprehending the chemically induced effects of oxidative stress by AAPH on animal development.

Antioxidant and anti-Alzheimer's potential of Tetragonisca angustula (Jataí) stingless bee pollen.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is considered the leading cause of dementia in the elderly worldwide. It results in progressive memory loss and impairment of cognitive and motor skills, leading to a high degree of disability and dependence. The development of AD is associated with the accumulation of senile plaques in the brain, caused by the amyloidogenic pathway of the disease. Several genetic and biochemical events are linked to AD development, with oxidative stress being one of them. Due to the scarcity of drugs aimed at treating AD, antioxidant compounds are increasingly studied as therapeutic targets for the disease. In this study, we investigate the antioxidant and anti-Alzheimer potential of the Tetragonisca angustula (Jataí) pollen extract in a Drosophila melanogaster Alzheimer's model. For this purpose, we utilized a D. melanogaster AD-like model, which expresses genes related to the amyloidogenic pathway of Alzheimer's disease. We explored the floral origin of the collected pollen, conducted phytochemical prospecting, and evaluated its antioxidant capacity in vitro. In vivo experiments involved assessing the survival and climbing ability of the D. melanogaster AD-like model with various concentrations of the pollen extract. Our findings revealed that the pollen extract of Tetragonisca angustula exhibits a significant antioxidant response and high concentrations of important phytochemicals, such as flavonoids and polyphenols. Furthermore, it enhanced the survival rate of D. melanogaster, and across all concentrations tested, it improved the climbing ability of the flies after 15 days of treatment with methanolic pollen extract. Additionally, the pollen extract reduced the neurodegeneration index in histopathological analysis. Thus, our study demonstrates the potential of Tetragonisca angustula pollen as an important subject for further investigation, aiming to isolate molecules that could potentially serve as therapeutic targets for Alzheimer's disease.

Drosophila melanogaster as a model for studies related to the toxicity of lavender, ginger and copaiba essential oils.

This study addresses the current trend of essential oils in alternative medicine using the non-chordate model Drosophila melanogaster. Following the three R's principles, it proposes non-chordate models to fill knowledge gaps on essential oil toxicity. Copaiba, lavender, and ginger essential oils are evaluated for effects on D. melanogaster lifespan, climbing ability, and brain structure, while their anti-inflammatory properties are also analyzed. Results show dose-related differences: higher concentrations (0.25% v/v) cause brain deterioration and impaired climbing, while lower concentrations (0.0625% v/v for copaiba and ginger; 0.125% for lavender) have no effect on climbing or brain structure. Lavender oil significantly extends lifespan and maintains anti-inflammatory activity when ingested, underscoring its therapeutic potential. These findings highlight the importance of D. melanogaster as a model for studying essential oil properties, potentially replacing chordate models. In addition, this research advances alternative remedies for currently incurable diseases, with lavender oil emerging as a promising candidate for drug discovery.

Identification of bioactive peptides from a Brazilian kefir sample, and their anti-Alzheimer potential in Drosophila melanogaster.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia in the elderly, affecting cognitive, intellectual, and motor functions. Different hypotheses explain AD's mechanism, such as the amyloidogenic hypothesis. Moreover, this disease is multifactorial, and several studies have shown that gut dysbiosis and oxidative stress influence its pathogenesis. Knowing that kefir is a probiotic used in therapies to restore dysbiosis and that the bioactive peptides present in it have antioxidant properties, we explored its biotechnological potential as a source of molecules capable of modulating the amyloidogenic pathway and reducing oxidative stress, contributing to the treatment of AD. For that, we used Drosophila melanogaster model for AD (AD-like flies). Identification of bioactive peptides in the kefir sample was made by proteomic and peptidomic analyses, followed by in vitro evaluation of antioxidant and acetylcholinesterase inhibition potential. Flies were treated and their motor performance, brain morphology, and oxidative stress evaluated. Finally, we performed molecular docking between the peptides found and the main pathology-related proteins in the flies. The results showed that the fraction with the higher peptide concentration was positive for the parameters evaluated. In conclusion, these results revealed these kefir peptide-rich fractions have therapeutic potential for AD.

Antimicrobial activity of supernatants produced by bacteria isolated from Brazilian stingless bee's larval food.

BACKGROUND: The discovery of new molecules with antimicrobial properties has been a promising approach, mainly when related to substances produced by bacteria. The use of substances produced by bees has evidenced the antimicrobial action in different types of organisms. Thus, the use of bacteria isolated from larval food of stingless bees opens the way for the identification of the new molecules. The effect of supernatants produced by these bacteria was evaluated for their ability to inhibit the growth of bacteria of clinical interest. Furthermore, their effects were evaluated when used in synergy with antibiotics available in the pharmaceutical industry. RESULTS: A few supernatants showed an inhibitory effect against susceptible and multiresistant strains in the PIC assay and the modulation assay. Emphasizing the inhibitory effect on multidrug-resistant strains, 7 showed an effect on multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli (APEC), Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC), multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in the PIC assay. Of the supernatants analyzed, some presented synergism for more than one species of multidrug-resistant bacteria. Nine had a synergistic effect with ampicillin on E. coli (APEC) or S. aureus (MRSA), 5 with penicillin G on E. coli (APEC) or KPC, and 3 with vancomycin on KPC. CONCLUSION: In summary, the results indicate that supernatants produced from microorganisms can synthesize different classes of molecules with potent antibiotic activity against multiresistant bacteria. Thus, suggesting the use of these microorganisms for use clinical tests to isolate the molecules produced and their potential for use.

Differential gene expression by RNA-seq during Alzheimer's disease-like progression in the Drosophila melanogaster model.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by progressive, irreversible loss of memory and cognitive function. Drosophila melanogaster and other animal models are used to study several diseases, in order to elucidate unknown mechanisms and develop potential therapies. Molecular studies require biological samples and, for neuropathologies such as AD biopsy of the human brain, are invasive and potentially damaging. The solution is to use animal models, such as D. melanogaster, which is a model organism that can replace mammalian organisms in such studies. In this study, we evaluated the climbing ability and differential gene expression during AD progression due to the amylodoigenic pathway using RNA-seq, and we performed an in silico analysis of a fruit fly AD-like GFP (Green Fluorescent Protein) model with GFP expression in the pan-neural elav driver. A total of 1388 genes were differentially expressed in all analyzed groups. The main pathways related to those Differentially Expressed Genes (DEGs) during aging and AD progression were evaluated using the fly genes and human orthologs, in order to link genomic information to higher-order functional information with gene pathway mapping. We identified pathways present in all analyzed groups, such as metabolic pathways, ribosomal pathways, proteasome pathways and immune system pathways. Some of the genes were validated by qPCR. Knockdown of CG17754 gene by RNAi promoted degeneration in the fly eye, validating these findings in vivo. The identification of similarities in molecular pathways between the transgenic fly AD-like GFP model and mammals related to AD provides new insights into the use of this fly in screening novel anti-AD drugs.

Kefir metabolites in a fly model for Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia among elderly individuals worldwide, leading to a strong motor-cognitive decline and consequent emotional distress and codependence. It is traditionally characterized by amyloidogenic pathway formation of senile plaques, and recent studies indicate that dysbiosis is also an important factor in AD's pathology. To overcome dysbiosis, probiotics-as kefir-have shown to be a great therapeutic alternative for Alzheimer's disease. In this present work, we explored kefir as a probiotic and a metabolite source as a modulator of microbiome and amyloidogenic pathway, using a Drosophila melanogaster model for AD (AD-like flies). Kefir microbiota composition was determined through 16S rRNA sequencing, and the metabolome of each fraction (hexane, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, and n-butanol) was investigated. After treatment, flies had their survival, climbing ability, and vacuolar lesions accessed. Kefir and fraction treated flies improved their climbing ability survival rate and neurodegeneration index. In conclusion, we show that kefir in natura, as well as its fractions may be promising therapeutic source against AD, modulating amyloidogenic related pathways.

10-hydroxy-2E-decenoic acid (10HDA) does not promote caste differentiation in Melipona scutellaris stingless bees.

In bees from genus Melipona, differential feeding is not enough to fully explain female polyphenism. In these bees, there is a hypothesis that in addition to the environmental component (food), a genetic component is also involved in caste differentiation. This mechanism has not yet been fully elucidated and may involve epigenetic and metabolic regulation. Here, we verified that the genes encoding histone deacetylases HDAC1 and HDAC4 and histone acetyltransferase KAT2A were expressed at all stages of Melipona scutellaris, with fluctuations between developmental stages and castes. In larvae, the HDAC genes showed the same profile of Juvenile Hormone titers-previous reported-whereas the HAT gene exhibited the opposite profile. We also investigated the larvae and larval food metabolomes, but we did not identify the putative queen-fate inducing compounds, geraniol and 10-hydroxy-2E-decenoic acid (10HDA). Finally, we demonstrated that the histone deacetylase inhibitor 10HDA-the major lipid component of royal jelly and hence a putative regulator of honeybee caste differentiation-was unable to promote differentiation in queens in Melipona scutellaris. Our results suggest that epigenetic and hormonal regulations may act synergistically to drive caste differentiation in Melipona and that 10HDA is not a caste-differentiation factor in Melipona scutellaris.