From: Doug Skrecky (oberon@vcn.bc.ca)
Date: Sun Apr 14 2002 - 22:16:38 MDT
This is the 57'th update of my fly longevity experiments. Experiment
#57 was originally run at the same time as #56, which I reported on some
time ago. The fly experiments have continued, even if there was a hiatus
on my reporting of results. I'll be catching up on my report writing for
the next while. Recorded average temperature during this experiment was
25.6 C.
In this experiment I took another look at rice protein, and compared
this with freeze concentrated (FC) purple and white grape juice, both
separately and in combination. The poor survival of the control bottle I
again attribute to pathogens - probably viruses. Grape polyphenols are
known to exert an antiviral effect, so the increase in life expectancy was
not unexpected. I was surprised at the massive longevity increase in rice
protein supplemented flies, which yielded a survival curve comparable to
the best laboratory results obtained with flies stored at similar
temperatures, but under clean room conditions, and with fly food being
renewed regularly. I do not attribute this to any "antiaging" effect of
rice protein, but this supplement does look to be exerting a protective
effect under the adverse conditions I conduct my experiments; that being
no clean room, and no replacement of fly food after an experiment is
started. Roughly speaking, at about 25 C, a day in a fly lifetime, is
about equal to a year in a human lifetime.
Adding freeze concentrated grape juice to rice protein decreases its
benefits, which again I suspect to be due to inhibition of protein
absorption from acidic fly food.
There has been very little work investigating any proposed anti-viral
effect of rice protein, although a very good anticancer effect has been
documented in rodents. It is ironic that although the presumed viral
infections, are preventing my looking for "antiaging" effects in flies,
this may not be the case for humans. Maximum fly longevity is known to be
limited by degeneration of motor neurons, but this is not a major lifespan
limiting factor in humans, except for those few burdened with neurological
diseases, such as Huntington's disease. Age associated increases in
mortality follow a different pattern in flies and humans. Viral infections
do appear to be a significant factor limiting human lifespan, both
directly, as well as indirectly though increased risk of cardiovascular
disease and cancer. Could a rice protein supplement help aged humans live
much longer? I do not know the answer to this.
Run #57 Percent Survival on Day
supplement 5 11 18 27 32 37 43 49 55 59 64 70 75 84
___________________________________________________________________
control 88 69 6 0 - - - - - - - - - -
rice protein 1 tsp 100 88 81 75 63 63 63 56 44 44 38 6 6 0
grape, purple FC 100 67 50 17 8 0 - - - - - - - -
grape, white FC 100 50 36 21 7 0 - - - - - - - -
rice protein + purple FC 86 71 57 57 14 0 - - - - - - - -
rice protein + white FC 92 92 83 42 25 8 8 8 0 - - - - -
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