Asiatic acid ameliorates life and health span in fruit fly

Aging is becoming a prominent health problem in present world. Asiatic acid has multiple health-protecting effects because of its variety biological function. However, relation between asiatic acid and aging is still unknown. In this study, fruit fly was used as model animal to illuminate anti-aging effect of asiatic acid. Our results advised asiatic acid possessed efficacy of promoting health span, as represented by extending lifetime and enhancing locomotor activity both in intrinsic and pathologically aging. In external environment, asiatic acid elevated survival rate against oxidative response and starvation resistance. In aspect of anti-aging mechanism, asiatic acid possessed antioxidant capacity by improvement of super oxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-px) activities and suppression of malondialdehyde (MDA) level to promote health span. In addition, asiatic acid amended energy material storage to meet needs of life process. Moreover, asiatic acid inhibited acetylcholine (AChE) activity to alter cholinergic system in aging process. Lastly, asiatic acid upregulated peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1 (PGC1) and silence information regulator 2 (Sir2) expression in intrinsic aging. In conclusion, asiatic acid exerted health-protecting potential via modulating directly or indirectly antioxidant activity, cholinergic system and longevity genes and could be developed into anti-aging agent.