The Impact of Rosemary and Ginger Extracts on Aging and Healthspan in Drosophila

Aging leads to a decline in physiological functions and increased risk of mortality, yet therapeutic avenues are limited. Dietary phytochemicals provide an attractive approach to counteract age-related health decline. Here, we have examined the impact of feeding extracts of rosemary and ginger, prepared via three different extraction methods, on markers of aging and healthspan in the fruit fly Drosophila. We observed that certain, but not all, extracts of ginger produce modest prolongevity effects. Feeding extracts of rosemary, produced via the three different methods, each produced prolongevity effects. We observe that feeding combinations of both rosemary and ginger extracts leads to robust lifespan extension. We find that the prolongevity effects of rosemary and ginger extracts are linked to improved intestinal barrier function in aged flies. Importantly, we show that the anti-aging effects observed are not linked to reduced food intake. Interestingly, we observe several instances where the combination of rosemary plus ginger produces effects which are more pronounced or not seen for either extract alone. In terms of cellular hallmarks of aging, rosemary plus ginger feeding leads to AMPK activation and improved markers of autophagy and proteostasis in aged flies. Furthermore, feeding the combination of rosemary plus ginger feeding improves cognitive function in aged flies. Our results demonstrate that rosemary and ginger extracts can counteract aging and prolong healthspan in flies.