Natural substances from Ayurveda help against depression in fruit flies. This is the result of a cooperative project between Mainz Gutenberg University (JGU) and the North American research center Botanical Dietary Supplements Research Center (BENFRA) in Portland.
“Chronic stress also leads to a depression-like state in flies, which is reflected in behavioral change,” says Professor Roland Strauss, working group leader at the Institute of Developmental Biology and Neurobiology at JGU. The animals show less courtship, show less willingness to stop for sweets and food, and in the experiment, are less willing to cross gaps. Studies showed that two Ayurvedic plants, when taken prophylactically, created resistance to chronic stress so that flies did not develop depression.