Rosemary Extract Mediated Lifespan Extension in Drosophila Melanogaster

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) has always known a versatile, aromatic herb and addition to being used as a food flavoring is also known medicinally for its powerful antioxidant activity, antibacterial and hepatoprotective properties. In this study we examined the effects of rosemary iextract on the lifespan and aging in Drosophila melanogaster against high-fat induced oxidative injury, and found that it responded to rosemary extract with an increased lifespan and reduced MDA content during aging. We found that lifespan extension by rosemary extract was attributed to its increasing the activity of SOD, CAT and decreasing the content of MDA. Moreover, Realtime-PCR analysis showed that the gene expression of SOD, and CAT was enhanced, in contrast MTH was significantly reduced. In conclusion, these results suggest that the antioxidant and antiaging effect of rosemary extract may, at least in part, be due to its interactions with endogenous antioxidant protective enzymes including SOD and CAT.