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Updated: Oct 18, 2025
Assessment of Chemical Toxicity in Adult Drosophila Melanogaster
Published on: March 24, 2023
Human Hazard Assessment Using Drosophila Wing Spot Test as an Alternative In Vivo Model for Genotoxicity Testing-A
Pornsiri Pitchakarn1, Woorawee Inthachat2, Jirarat Karinchai1
1Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand.
Abstract:
Genomic instability, one of cancer's hallmarks, is induced by genotoxins from endogenous and exogenous sources, including reactive oxygen species (ROS), diet, and environmental pollutants. A sensitive in vivo genotoxicity test is required for the identification of human hazards to reduce the potential health risk. The somatic mutation and recombination test (SMART) or wing spot test is a genotoxicity assay involving Drosophila melanogaster (fruit fly) as a classical, alternative human model. This review describes the principle of the SMART assay in conjunction with its advantages and disadvantages and discusses applications of the assay covering all segments of health-related industries, including food, dietary supplements, drug industries, pesticides, and herbicides, as well as nanoparticles. Chemopreventive strategies are outlined as a global health trend for the anti-genotoxicity of interesting herbal extract compounds determined by SMART assay. The successful application of Drosophila for high-throughput screening of mutagens is also discussed as a future perspective.
Insights
The somatic mutation and recombination test (SMART) in fruit flies offers a sensitive in vivo method to detect genotoxins, crucial for identifying human health hazards. This genotoxicity assay supports risk assessment across various industries and explores chemopreventive strategies.
Area of Science:
- Toxicology and Genomics
- In vivo genotoxicity testing
Background:
- Genomic instability is a key hallmark of cancer, often triggered by genotoxins from both internal and external sources.
- Accurate in vivo genotoxicity tests are essential for identifying human health hazards and mitigating risks.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the principle, advantages, and disadvantages of the somatic mutation and recombination test (SMART) assay.
- To discuss the broad applications of the SMART assay in various health-related industries.
- To explore chemopreventive strategies and the role of Drosophila in high-throughput mutagen screening.
Main Methods:
- The review focuses on the somatic mutation and recombination test (SMART) assay, also known as the wing spot test.
- This assay utilizes Drosophila melanogaster (fruit fly) as an alternative in vivo model for genotoxicity assessment.
Main Results:
- The SMART assay provides a sensitive method for detecting genotoxicity in vivo.
- Applications span the food, drug, pesticide, and nanoparticle industries, demonstrating its versatility.
- Herbal extracts show potential chemopreventive effects against genotoxicity, as identified by the SMART assay.
Conclusions:
- The Drosophila SMART assay is a valuable tool for in vivo genotoxicity testing and human hazard identification.
- Its applications are extensive, supporting safety assessments across multiple industrial sectors.
- Future perspectives include high-throughput screening of mutagens and the evaluation of natural compounds for anti-genotoxicity.
