Supplementation of Spirulina (Arthrospira platensis) Improves Lifespan and Locomotor Activity in Paraquat-Sensitive DJ-1β Δ93 Flies, a Parkinson's Disease Model in Drosophila melanogaster

• Published in: Journal of dietary supplements 2017-09, Vol.14 (5), p.573-588
• Main Authors: Kumar, Ajay, Christian, Pearl K, Panchal, Komal, Guruprasad, B R, Tiwari, Anand K
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Antioxidants - administration & dosage; Antioxidants - analysis; Dietary Supplements; Disease Models, Animal; Drosophila melanogaster; Herbicides; Locomotion - drug effects; Longevity - drug effects; Oxidation-Reduction - drug effects; Paraquat; Parkinson Disease - physiopathology; Parkinson Disease - therapy; Phycocyanin - administration & dosage; Phycocyanin - analysis; Spirulina - chemistry; Superoxide Dismutase - drug effects
• ISSN: 1939-0211; 1939-022X
• DOI: 10.1080/19390211.2016.1275917

Spirulina (Arthrospira platensis) is a cyanobacterium (blue-green alga) consumed by humans and other animals because of its nutritional values and pharmacological properties. Apart from high protein contents, it also contains high levels of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds, such as carotenoids, β-carotene, phycocyanin, and phycocyanobilin, indicating its possible pharmaco-therapeutic utility. In the present study using DJ-1β flies, a Parkinson's disease model in Drosophila, we have demonstrated the therapeutic effect of spirulina and its active component C-phycocyanin (C-PC) in the improvement of lifespan and locomotor behavior. Our findings indicate that dietary supplementation of spirulina significantly improves the lifespan and locomotor activity of paraquat-fed DJ-1β flies. Furthermore, supplementation of spirulina and C-PC individually and independently reduced the cellular stress marked by deregulating the expression of heat shock protein 70 and Jun-N-terminal kinase signaling in DJ-1β flies. A significant decrease in superoxide dismutase and catalase activities in spirulina-fed DJ-1β flies tends to indicate the involvement of antioxidant properties associated with spirulina in the modulation of stress-induced signaling and improvement in lifespan and locomotor activity in Drosophila DJ-1β flies. Our results suggest that antioxidant boosting properties of spirulina can be used as a nutritional supplement for improving the lifespan and locomotor behavior in Parkinson's disease.