Anti-aging Effect of Ginseng Extract and Its Mechanism on Drosophila melanogaster

Objective: Based on the model organism of Drosophila melanogaster, the anti-aging effect of ginseng extract and its mechanism on Drosophila melanogaster were investigated. Methods: The composition of ginsenosides in ginseng extract were analyzed by HPLC. Wild Canton-S Drosophila melanogaster were randomly divided into control group and ginseng extract group. The life span test, food intake, triglyceride level, reproductive ability, exercise ability, and the survival time of Drosophila melanogaster under starvation, heat stress and oxidative stress were applied to analyze the anti-aging function of ginseng extract. The transcription levels of genes related to AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) pathway and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway were determined by polymerase chain reaction. Results: Ginseng extract contained 13 ginsenosides. Compared with the control group, 7.5 mg/mL ginseng extract could prolong the life span of Drosophila melanogaster by 9.72%, and had no significant effect on the food intake, triglyceride level and fecundity (P>0.05), significantly improved the climbing ability (P<0.05 or P<0.01), and increased the ability to resist stress (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Compared with the control group, the intake of ginseng extract significantly increased the transcript levels of AMPKα, FoxO, Sirt1, LKB1 and CaMKII (P<0.05 or P<0.01), decreased the transcript levels of HDAC4 and SREBP (P<0.05), and enhanced ATP content and ATP/ADP ratio (P<0.05 or P<0.01). In addition, ginseng extract significantly decreased the transcription levels of mTOR-related genes PI3K, TORC, 4E-BP and S6K (P<0.05 or P<0.01), and significantly increased the transcription levels of Atg1, Atg5, Atg8a and Atg8b (P<0.01). Conclusion: Ginseng extract could delay the aging of Drosophila melanogaster by activating AMPK pathway and inhibiting mTOR pathway.