Artemisia argyi extract exerts antioxidant properties and extends the lifespan of Drosophila melanogaster

Abstract BACKGROUND Chinese mugwort ( Artemisia argyi ) possesses extensive pharmacological activities associated with anti‐tumour, antioxidative and anti‐inflammatory effects. The present study aimed to investigate the antioxidant and anti‐ageing effects of A. argyi extract (AAE) on the fruit fly ( Drosophila melanogaster ) ageing model by detecting antioxidant enzyme activities and the mRNA level of antioxidant genes. RESULTS AAE could significantly lengthen the mean lifespan, 50% survival days, and maximum lifespan of D. melanogaster , especially when the amount of AAE added reached 6.68 mg mL −1 , the mean lifespan of both female and male flies increased by 23.74% and 22.30%, respectively, indicating the effective life extension effect of AAE. At the same time, AAE could improve the climbing ability and tolerance to hydrogen peroxide in D. melanogaster . In addition, the addition of AAE effectively increased the activities of copper‐zinc‐containing superoxide dismutase, manganese‐containing superoxide dismutase and catalase in D. melanogaster and reduced the contents of malondialdehyde. Moreover, when reared with diets containing AAE, the expression of antioxidant‐related genes SOD1, SOD2 and CAT was up‐regulated in D. melanogaster and down‐regulated for MTH genes. CONCLUSION The study indicates that AAE effectively enhances the antioxidant capacity of D. melanogaster and has potential applications as an antioxidant and anti‐ageing agent in the nutraceutical industry. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.