New Study Reveals that Traditional Medicinal Plants Can Improve Resilience to Chronic Stress in Fruit Flies
New findings from researchers at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) in Germany show that chronic stress can lead to depression-like behaviors in fruit flies, Drosophila melanogaster, affecting their motivation and activity levels. However, the use of Ayurvedic medicinal plants, particularly Withania somnifera (ashwagandha) and Centella asiatica, can help improve the flies’ resilience to chronic stress when used proactively. The study also identified chlorogenic acid, found in Centella asiatica and other botanicals like coffee beans, as a key anti-stress compound, offering potential insights into treating stress-related disorders and understanding biological mechanisms of stress resilience. This research, published in Nutrients, highlights the potential of traditional medicinal plants in addressing stress-related disorders, linking Ayurveda and modern neuroscience.
“The way of preparing the root makes a difference – as aqueous extracts provided better prophylactic effects than extracts in alcohol,” explained Dr. Burkhard Poeck and his team. They also pinpointed chlorogenic acid as acting via calcineurin, with exceptional potential in the nervous system.
Principal investigator Professor Roland Strauss noted the study’s significance: “Chronic stress induces depression-like states in the fruit fly, and these become apparent in changes to their behavior. By using Ayurvedic medicinal plants, we were able to enhance the resilience to chronic stress so that the stressed flies did not get into a depression-like state in the first place.”
The Mainz research group collaborated with the BENFRA Botanical Dietary Supplements Research Center in the U.S., testing their approach for treating stress using two Ayurvedic plants. They demonstrated that these plants can improve resilience to chronic stress when used proactively, offering hope for natural treatments for stress-related disorders. The research also suggests synergistic effects of active botanical substances in treating stress, providing potential advantages over conventional drugs.
