Abstract

DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER AS A MODEL FOR PROBIOTIC RESEARCH IN DIABETES: INSIGHTS INTO GLUCOSE METABOLISM, ROS, IMMUNE FUNCTION, BIOCHEMICAL AND MOLECULAR MARKERS WITH CROSS-SPECIES COMPARISONS

Amrutha Dayanand*, Malliah Shivashankar

ABSTRACT

Drosophila melanogaster has emerged as a valuable genetic and physiological model for studying metabolic diseases due to its conserved insulin signalling pathway, rapid life cycle, and well-characterized gut microbiota. Recent research highlights that probiotics—live microorganisms conferring health benefits—can modulate host metabolism, reduce oxidative stress, and improve insulin sensitivity. This review summarizes experimental evidence on the role of probiotics in regulating glucose homeostasis and metabolic function in Drosophila melanogaster, emphasizing its relevance as a model system for diabetes research. Studies using Drosophila fed with probiotic strains such as Lactobacillus, Acetobacter, Bifidobacterium, and Bacillus have demonstrated improved glucose tolerance, reduced lipid accumulation, enhanced antioxidant enzyme activity, and modulation of insulin-like peptides. Probiotic interventions also influence gut microbial composition, intestinal integrity, and host gene expression related to carbohydrate metabolism and oxidative balance. High-sugar and high-fat diet models in Drosophila further support the potential of probiotics to counter diet-induced metabolic stress. Despite promising outcomes, variations in strain specificity, dosage, and experimental design limit direct cross-study comparisons.

Keywords: Drosophila melanogaster, Gut microbiota; Metabolic disorders, Probiotics, type 2 diabetes.