Chemical analysis of aging: Testing predictions from green theory

Abstract

Methods: Environmental and genetic interventions were applied to examine their effects on age-related changes in the chemical composition of Drosophila melanogaster. Novel analytical methods were developed and validated to investigate the accumulation, with age, of stable molecular damage in flies. Results: Cohorts of Drosophila with extended lifespans showed a reduced rate of accumulation of signals consistent with damage during ageing compared to wild-type cohorts cultured under normal conditions. Spectrometric analysis also revealed distinct age-associated qualitative changes. Main conclusion: This work represents the first use of a range of analytical techniques to characterise and quantify compounds associated with, and possibly causing, different rates of ageing in Drosophila melanogaster.