The Effect of Natural β-Cryptoxanthin Carotene on the Fecundity and Phenotypic Expression of Drosophila melanogaster: a Prospective Application for Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) Development In Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Patients

Ronit Pathak

School Name

Spring Valley High School

Grade Level

11th Grade

Presentation Topic

Biochemistry

Presentation Type

Non-Mentored

Abstract

In previous years, various studies have shown increased presence of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in initially diagnosed multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. This, in turn, has led to the gradual deterioration of many patients' immunological systems. This study aimed to use Drosophila melanogaster as a neurological model to examine the effect of β-cryptoxanthin carotene on the fecundity of fly cultures as a potential treatment application. It was hypothesized that if living cultures of Drosophila melanogaster are exposed to discrete quantities of β-cryptoxanthin carotene in their media, their progressive reproduction rates will be higher due to the myriad properties of the carotene than one exposed to no carotene. First, the carotene capsules were punctured and strained using a dissection probe. Then, the fly media was created using water and various concentrations of the carotene and poured into culture vials. Next, the Drosophila were anesthetized using FlyNap compound and transferred in even quantities to the vials. They were then monitored over the course of five weeks for population changes and abnormal phenotypic expressions. An ANOVA test showed the hypothesis was partially supported as the 5% carotene vials yielded the greatest number of flies where (p=0.049<α=0.05), but the average rates of change of the fly populations in the 7.5% and 10% culture vials were distinguishably lower where (p=0.553>α=0.05), and (p=0.0003<α=0.05), respectively. It can be concluded that β-cryptoxanthin has a profound but numerically restricted impact on the fecundity of Drosophila.

Location

Furman Hall 118

Start Date

3-28-2020 9:00 AM

Presentation Format

Oral and Written

Group Project

No

COinS
 
Mar 28th, 9:00 AM

The Effect of Natural β-Cryptoxanthin Carotene on the Fecundity and Phenotypic Expression of Drosophila melanogaster: a Prospective Application for Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) Development In Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Patients

Furman Hall 118

In previous years, various studies have shown increased presence of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in initially diagnosed multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. This, in turn, has led to the gradual deterioration of many patients' immunological systems. This study aimed to use Drosophila melanogaster as a neurological model to examine the effect of β-cryptoxanthin carotene on the fecundity of fly cultures as a potential treatment application. It was hypothesized that if living cultures of Drosophila melanogaster are exposed to discrete quantities of β-cryptoxanthin carotene in their media, their progressive reproduction rates will be higher due to the myriad properties of the carotene than one exposed to no carotene. First, the carotene capsules were punctured and strained using a dissection probe. Then, the fly media was created using water and various concentrations of the carotene and poured into culture vials. Next, the Drosophila were anesthetized using FlyNap compound and transferred in even quantities to the vials. They were then monitored over the course of five weeks for population changes and abnormal phenotypic expressions. An ANOVA test showed the hypothesis was partially supported as the 5% carotene vials yielded the greatest number of flies where (p=0.049<α=0.05), but the average rates of change of the fly populations in the 7.5% and 10% culture vials were distinguishably lower where (p=0.553>α=0.05), and (p=0.0003<α=0.05), respectively. It can be concluded that β-cryptoxanthin has a profound but numerically restricted impact on the fecundity of Drosophila.