Anise Hyssop Increases Lifespan, Stress Resistance, and Metabolism by Affecting Free Radical Processes in .

Anise hyssop, , is a widely used medicinal herb with known antioxidant properties. We studied how dietary supplementation with dried leaf powder affected physiological and metabolic traits as well as activities of antioxidant enzymes and markers of oxidative stress in . Dietary hyssop extended the lifespan in a sex and genotype independent manner over a broad range of concentrations up to 30 mg/ml. Dietary supplementation with the herb significantly increased fecundity, resistance to oxidative stress and starvation. Higher transcript levels of insulin-like peptide () and decreased and transcripts together with increased levels of glycogen and triacylglycerols support an alteration of insulin signaling by the plant extract. Increased enzymatic activities of superoxide dismutase and aconitase as well as elevated protein and low molecular mass thiols also supported an alteration of free radical process in flies treated with dietary leaf powder. Thus, physiological and metabolic traits as well as free radical processed may be affected by active compounds detected in extracts of anise hyssop leaves and contribute to the increased lifespan and reproductive (egg-laying) activity observed.