The effect of Gelsemium sempervirens extract on social interaction of a traumatic injury induced Drosophila melanogaster offspring model (mimicking preterm birth defects)

Abstract

Every year, approximately 15 million infants are born prematurely, leading to various birth defects such as reduced social interaction or increased anxiety. Drosophila melanogaster, or fruit flies, are used as a model organism as they display behaviors such as anxiety and agoraphobia which mimic premature birth defects like reduced social interaction. Traumatic injury induced on maternal flies using a High Impact Trauma (HIT) device shows reduced social interaction in offspring flies. Social interaction can be measured using a social space assay where each fly’s nearest neighbor is considered a social space. Smaller distances between flies represent higher social interaction with increased in aggregation of flies. Gelsemium sempervirens (GS) extract counteracts increased anxiety levels and increases interaction levels in mice. I hypothesize that if the extract is administered to the maternal fruit flies induced with traumatic injury, then the offspring will have improved social interaction levels. There was a significant difference found in social interaction when the extract is applied in a trauma scenario. The hypothesis is supported as offspring social interaction was increased when extract was administered to trauma induced maternal flies. The research can shine light on the possibility of further research on neonates, specifically, improving their social interactions.