Study of Drosophila melanogaster response to electric stress and efficacy of Abhrak bhasma and ascorbic acid as dietary supplement

Abstract

With an increase in usage of variety of electric appliances, not only humans but also other coexisting organisms too face an occasional exposure to electric shock. Majority of stresses manifest directly or indirectly through oxidative stress. This study largely deals with understanding the effect of electric stress on catalytic as well as non- catalytic components of antioxidant machinery in insect using Drosophila as a model system. The effect of dietary supplement of ascorbic acid and abhrak bhasma in management of elwectric shock has also been evaluated. The activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase enzymes were assessed as a part of catalytic component while, total GSH content, GSH:GSSG ratio, free radical scavenging capacity were studied as a part of non-catalytic component of antioxidant machinery of cells. Along with these parameters, the molecular effect at transcription levels of cncC (Nrf-2), hsp70 genes as well as the effect on lipid peroxidation was evaluated in response to electric shock. It was observed that ascorbic acid as a dietary supplement, in general, show protective role in electric stress. Abhrak bhasma, on the contrary, negatively affect various antioxidant parameters. Administration of these compounds and subsequent electric shock can thus be tried for demographic manipulations of insects.