The level of motivation of the fruit fly, the Drosophila, can be inferred based on whether or not it attempts to cross the gaps it encounters while walking. In a depression type state, the fruit fly is less likely to do this. Credits: Helen Hovoet, Hans-Hermann Huber
Chronic exposure to stress can lead to the development of depression-like disorders that manifest as a lack of motivation, even in the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster. As a result, insects show less courtship behavior, are less interested in stopping to ingest sugary nutrients, and are less willing to climb a gap in the experimental setup.
Traditional medicinal plants can, however, to some extent alleviate some of the associated symptoms, as observed by researchers at the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) in Germany in collaboration with the Research Center for Botanical Dietary Supplements BENFRA in Portland, Oregon.
Researchers have shown that two plants used in Ayurvedic medicine can improve resilience to chronic stress when used prophylactically in flies. Despite their state of stress, they no longer displayed behaviors compatible with depression. Articles on their studies of the two plant materials have been published in Nutrients.
Plants containing biologically active ingredients can help the body cope with stress
The JGU research group led by Professor Roland Strauss uses the Drosophila melanogaster model to analyze the underlying mechanisms involved in stress resilience and the effects of stress on the nervous system.
“Chronic stress can also cause depression-like states in fruit flies, which manifest as behavioral changes,” Strauss explained. In this most recent research context, his group cooperated with the BENFRA Botanical Dietary Supplement Research Center in the United States of America. The center studies plants that improve neurological and functional resilience to aging.
The Mainz-based researchers focus on testing plant extracts and natural substances known to be used in traditional Asian medicine and also marketed as dietary supplements. The idea is that certain plants contain higher than average amounts of active ingredients or substances that themselves exhibit particularly high biological activity. These so-called adaptogens can help our bodies adapt to increased physical and emotional stress.
“An advantage over conventional medicines could be that medicinal plants contain mixtures of various active botanical substances that act on different sites of the stress axis,” said Helen Holvoet, doctoral student in Professor Strauss’s team and author main point of the two articles.
“As they have a synergistic effect in combating stress, they may cause fewer adverse effects than if the substances themselves were administered alone in pure form.” Another potential advantage is that dietary supplements can be used as complementary medicines in combination with pharmacotherapies.
The absorption of sugar and adaptogens can alleviate and even prevent depression-like states in Drosophila, the fruit fly. Credit: Tim Hermanns
As part of the joint project, Strauss’s team tested their approach to treating stress using two Ayurvedic medicinal plants, namely Withania somnifera (known as ashwagandha or sleeping berry) and Centella asiatica ( the Indian hydrocotyl). The research partners were able to demonstrate that, when administered prophylactically, both plants improve resilience to chronic stress, so that flies exposed to stress do not fall into a depression-like state.
Chlorogenic acid identified as a relevant substance in the treatment of stress
“In the case of Withania somnifera, we found that the way of preparing the root made a difference, because aqueous extracts produced better prophylactic effects than alcoholic extracts,” explained Dr. Burkhard Poeck, who also participated in the experiments. . This surprising result shows how important it is to pay attention to the production methods used for dietary supplements.
The team from Mainz and their cooperation partners from Portland achieved an even more impressive result when experimenting with Centella asiatica. They were in fact able to identify a specific component, chlorogenic acid, acting as a prophylactic and anti-stress substance. Chlorogenic acid is present in many plants, in particularly high amounts in coffee beans, for example. It is also found in traditional medicinal herbs such as valerian (Valeriana officinalis) and St. John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum), whose anti-stress potential has long been known.
The analysis of these medicinal substances not only provides general information on their effects on neuronal stress, but can also provide a starting point for fundamental research on resilience.
“In this case, we were able to identify a relevant target protein for chlorogenic acid in Drosophila, the protein phosphatase calcineurin,” said Professor Roland Strauss, explaining additional research results. In humans, calcineurin is present in many organs of the body and its concentrations are exceptionally high in the nervous system. There it interacts with many other proteins and mediates many signaling pathways.
More information:
Helen Holvoet et al, Chlorogenic acids, acting via calcineurin, are the main compounds in Centella asiatica extracts that mediate resilience to chronic stress in Drosophila melanogaster, Nutrients (2023). DOI: 10.3390/nu15184016
Helen Holvoet et al, Withania somnifera extracts promote resilience against age-related and stress-induced behavioral phenotypes in Drosophila melanogaster; a possible role of compounds other than withanolides, Nutrients (2022). DOI: 10.3390/nu14193923
Provided by Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz
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