Pharmacological Effect of Muntingia calabura Leaves on the Expression of sod1 and sod2 in Drosophila

The lifespan of Drosophila melanogaster can last longer when consuming ethanol extract of
Muntingia calabura leaves (EMCL) before starvation. Lifespan extension can be affected by several
factors, including the increased expression of endogenous antioxidants. This study aimed to assess the
level of endogenous antioxidants sod1 and sod2 in D. melanogaster upon ingestion of ethanol extract
of M. calabura leaves (EMCL) before starvation. Fifty D. melanogaster were divided into five groups:
healthy control group, starvation control group, and three groups of EMCL-treated: 0.2% group, 1%
group, and 5% group. Each group was fed with fly food in the presence or absence of EMCL for seven
days, and all groups, except the healthy control group, were subsequently subjected to a starvation
procedure for seven hours. RNA extraction was performed on each group before sod1 and sod2
measurements using the reverse-transcriptase quantitative PCR method. Our results revealed that the
expression of sod2 was increased in response to starvation. On the contrary, reduced expression of sod1
was observed in the starvation-treated group. Treatment of flies with EMCL at 1% and 5% increased
the mRNA level of sod1, but did not affect the mRNA level of sod2. Taken together, our results
demonstrated the potential effect of Muntingia calabura leaves in the modulation of Drosophila sod1
and sod2 gene expression in Drosophila. Similar endogenous antioxidants are present in humans and
have been associated with aging, implying that prospective pharmacological investigations are feasible
to pursue in future studies.