EFFECT OF ABHRAK BHASMA ON THE PHYSIOLOGY AND BEHAVIOUR OF DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER.

Abstract

Bhasma, claimed to be biologically produced nanoparticles, are Ayurvedic preparations used in treating a variety of ailments. Abhrak bhasma is derived from mica mineral through repeated incineration after mixing with certain plant materials. The effect of abhrak bhasma on Drosophila was studied in terms of longevity and effect on body weight, heat tolerance as well as behavioural modifications. The behavioural modifications were investigated using locomotor assay and pupation height for larvae and Retro-Iterative Negative Geotaxis assay (RING assay) for adults. There is paucity of literature that describes the effect of abhrak bhasma in general and in insect model system in particular. Drosophila has been extensively used as a model system for a wide range of studies. Owing to the short life cycle and availability of vast scientific data, diverse factors that are affected by any treatment can be studied comprehensively in Drosophila. This is the first report on using Drosophila melanogaster to demonstrate the effect of abhrak bhasma. In this study, abhrak bhasma has been found to increase the median lifespan of flies, to strengthen the locomotory abilities and to increase the mating efficiency. Further studies are however needed to understand the exact mechanism of these responses. Copy Right, IJAR, 2017,. All rights reserved.