Effect of Vitamin C on Drosophila melanogaster Lifespan Alyssa Graham; Marietta Wright, PhD; Waynesburg University Department of Biology, Waynesburg PA Abstract Ascorbic acid, or vitamin C, is a natural antioxidant found in a number of common foods, such as citrus fruits and leafy, green vegetables. While people lack the ability to synthesize this vitamin on their own, prior research indicates that a high intake of this antioxidant may counteract the oxidative stress damage of DNA, decreasing the likelihood of genetic mutations (Choi et al, 2005). In this experiment, Drosophila melanogaster, also known as the fruit fly, was used to test the hypothesis that increasing amounts of vitamin C would extend the average lifespan of fruit flies. On average, female flies exposed to 40 mM vitamin C and male flies with 20 mM vitamin C lived slightly longer when compared to the control. However, all flies exposed to 80 mM concentrations of vitamin C experienced a significant decreased lifespan. Overall, this study indicates that the use of vitamin C, in moderation, can be beneficial, yet an overabundance can ultimately be detrimental to health. Introduction Ascorbic acid, or vitamin C, is a water-soluble antioxidant commonly found in citrus fruits and leafy, green vegetables. Some benefits of vitamin C include the ability to counteract oxidative stress damage, wound repair, and the treatment and prevention of photo-aged and sun- damaged skin. An adverse effect of too much vitamin C is its capacity to convert natural iron to ferrous iron, which can impair immunity. Drosophila melanogaster, also known as the fruit fly, has a 2 week breeding cycle in which they produce a multitude of viable offspring. Fruit flies have 4 sets of chromosomes and share a genetic homology with humans. Purpose The purpose of this study was to determine the benefits of vitamin C on D. melanogaster lifespan and to see whether too much vitamin C could be detrimental to fruit fly health. Methods Fruit flies were obtained from Carolina Biological Supply Company. The fruit fly media was prepared using water, tegosept, agar, sulfur-free molasses, and yellow cornmeal. While still warm, the food was separated into vials and the vitamin C was added. 10 vials were prepared in variable vitamin C concentrations: 0 mM (control), 10 mM, 20 mM, 40 mM, and 80 mM. Each concentration had 2 vials—male and female. Flies were sexed and separated into vials. Vials were kept at room temperature for the duration of the study and observed 2 times a day (morning and night). Statistical analysis was performed on the data obtained. Conclusions While the current data was not significantly different, female fruit flies exposed to 40 mM vitamin C and males exposed to 20 mM vitamin C lived slightly longer than the control, on average. All flies exposed to 80 mM vitamin C experienced a significant decrease in lifespan when compared to the control. In moderation, vitamin C can be beneficial. Too much, however, can be detrimental to health. In general, female flies tended to live longer than males (the 20 mM group is the only exception). This could be due to a possible increased sexual tension experienced by male fruit flies when they can sense females nearby yet are unable to mate (Gendron et al, 2013). References Choi, S. W., Benzie, I. F., Lam, C. Y., Chat, S. S., Lam, J. J., Yiu, C. H., et al. (2005). Inter-relationships between DNA damage, ascorbic acid and glycaemic control in Type 2 diabetes mellitus. Diabetic Medicine, 22(10), Gendron, C. M., Kuo, T., Harvanek, Z. M., Chung, B. Y., Yew, J. Y., Dierick, H. A., Pletcher, S. D. (2013). Drosophila Life Span and Physiology Are Modulated by Sexual Perception and Reward. Sciencexpress, 10, 1-7. Acknowledgements I would like to thank the Waynesburg University Biology Department for providing me with all of my supplies. I would also like to thank Nancy Wrick and the Center for Research and Economic Development for printing this poster. Figure 5: Vials of fruit fly media containing varying amounts of vitamin C. Figure 1: Structure of ascorbic acid R etrieved from pubs.acs.org/cen/coverstory/83/83 25/8325vitamins.html Figure 2: Drosophila melanogaster Retrieved from genetics/ Results Females Males Figure 3: Average Drosophila melanogaster lifespan among male and female flies. Figure 4: Average Drosophila melanogaster lifespan among groups given varying amounts of vitamin C. ** Each bar is the average +/- SEM.