A Metabolomic Approach to Investigate the Effect of Phytonutrients on Proteostasis and Metabolic Pathways in Drosophila melanogaster

• Published in: Planta medica Vol. 90; no. 7-08; p. 512
• Main Authors: Mikropoulou, Eleni V, Evangelakou, Zoi, Trougakos, Ioannis P, Halabalaki, Maria
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany 01.06.2024
• Subjects: Animals; Drosophila melanogaster - drug effects; Female; Male; Metabolic Networks and Pathways - drug effects; Metabolome - drug effects; Metabolomics; Phytochemicals - pharmacology; Plant Extracts - chemistry; Plant Extracts - pharmacology; Proteostasis - drug effects
• ISSN: 1439-0221
• DOI: 10.1055/a-2192-3167

The use of as a biological platform to study the effect of diet and food bioactives on the metabolome remains a highly unexplored subject. Aiming to establish alternative solutions for the investigation of nutritional interventions with bioactive natural products by employing LC-MS-based metabolomics approaches, we assessed the effect of a phytonutrient-rich extract from the endemic Mediterranean plant (stamnagkàthi) on a population. The extract's modulating effect on the proteostasis network and metabolism of young flies was evaluated. Furthermore, an untargeted metabolomics approach, employing a C18 UPLC-ESI-Orbitrap-HRMS/MS platform, permitted the detection of several biomarkers in the metabolic profile of 's tissues; while targeted amino acid quantification in tissue was simultaneously performed by employing aTRAQ labeling and an ion-pairing UPLC-ESI-SWATH-HRMS/MS platform. The detected metabolites belong to different chemical classes, and statistical analysis with chemometrics tools was utilized to reveal patterns and trends, as well as to uncover potential class-distinguishing features and possible biomarkers. Our findings suggest that can serve as a valuable model for investigating the role of bioactive phytoconstituents, like those found in 's decoction, on diverse metabolic processes. Additionally, the fruit fly represents a highly effective platform to investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying sex differences in diverse aspects of nutrition and physiology in higher metazoans.