{
  "abstract": "Background: Excess dietary sugar is a major contributor to metabolic disorders, including type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). This study investigates the physiological, biochemical, behavioral, and molecular effects of high-sucrose diets in Drosophila melanogaster and evaluates the modulatory effects of metformin under these conditions. Methods: Flies were reared on normal and high-sucrose diets (5% and 15%), with or without metformin treatment (5 mM and 15 mM). Pupation, survival, locomotor activity (negative geotaxis), trehalose levels, antioxidant enzyme activities (SOD, GST), and expression of stress-related genes (Mn-SOD, Cu/Zn-SOD, MTH, CAT, Hsp40, Hsp70) were assessed after 10 days of treatment. Gene expression levels were quantified relative to the normal control group using RpS20 as the housekeeping reference. Results: High-sucrose diets significantly reduced pupation and survival rates, impaired locomotor performance, increased trehalose levels, and decreased antioxidant enzyme activities. These diets were also associated with downregulation of stress- and antioxidant-related genes. Metformin treatment partially attenuated several of these alterations relative to the corresponding sucrose-treated groups, including improvements in pupation, survival, locomotor performance, metabolic parameters, antioxidant enzyme activity, and gene expression. Conclusion: High-sucrose diets induced metabolic disturbances in Drosophila melanogaster, including impaired developmental progression and survival, functional locomotor impairment, carbohydrate imbalance, oxidative stress, and suppression of stress-related gene expression. Metformin partially attenuated several of these changes within the corresponding sucrose-treatment groups. These findings support the utility of Drosophila melanogaster as a tractable model for studying diet-induced metabolic dysfunction and evaluating pharmacological interventions.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Biology Department, College of Science, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates"
  ],
  "article_type": "Research Article",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 4,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Mohamed Lotfy"
    },
    {
      "name": "Fatema Al Sawai"
    },
    {
      "name": "Dhoha Alyammahi"
    },
    {
      "name": "Biduth Kundu"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/499bpp03p1dwy.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.1371/journal.pone.0359638",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "499bpp03p1dwy",
  "issns": [
    "1932-6203"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0359638",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licence_source": "journal",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "1312|Metabolism, Diabetes, and Cancer"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Biochemistry/Antioxidants"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Genetics/Gene expression"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Nutrition/Diet"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Organisms/Eukaryota/Animals/Invertebrates/Arthropoda/Insects/Drosophila/Drosophila melanogaster"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Zoology/Animals/Invertebrates/Arthropoda/Insects/Drosophila/Drosophila melanogaster"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Zoology/Entomology/Insects/Drosophila/Drosophila melanogaster"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Medicine and health sciences/Endocrinology/Endocrine disorders/Diabetes mellitus/Type 2 diabetes/Diet and type 2 diabetes"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Medicine and health sciences/Medical conditions/Metabolic disorders/Diabetes mellitus/Type 2 diabetes/Diet and type 2 diabetes"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Medicine and health sciences/Nutrition/Diet"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Physical sciences/Chemistry/Chemical compounds/Organic compounds/Carbohydrates/Disaccharides/Sucrose"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Physical sciences/Chemistry/Chemical compounds/Organic compounds/Carbohydrates/Disaccharides/Trehalose"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Physical sciences/Chemistry/Chemical compounds/Organic compounds/Carbohydrates/Monosaccharides/Glucose"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Physical sciences/Chemistry/Organic chemistry/Organic compounds/Carbohydrates/Disaccharides/Sucrose"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Physical sciences/Chemistry/Organic chemistry/Organic compounds/Carbohydrates/Disaccharides/Trehalose"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Physical sciences/Chemistry/Organic chemistry/Organic compounds/Carbohydrates/Monosaccharides/Glucose"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Research and analysis methods/Animal studies/Experimental organism systems/Animal models/Drosophila melanogaster"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Research and analysis methods/Animal studies/Experimental organism systems/Model organisms/Drosophila melanogaster"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Research and analysis methods/Model organisms/Drosophila melanogaster"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7215091681",
  "pdf_url": "https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0359638&type=printable",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-10-01",
  "publisher": "Public Library of Science",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/499bpp03p1dwy.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:17:37Z",
      "native_id": "10.1371/journal.pone.0359638",
      "source": "plos",
      "url": "https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0359638"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "biology",
      "origin": "plos:zoology",
      "subfield": "zoology-behaviour"
    },
    {
      "field": "chemistry",
      "origin": "plos:organic chemistry",
      "subfield": "organic"
    },
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "plos:nutrition",
      "subfield": "nutrition"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Metformin modulates survival, oxidative stress, and gene expression in a high-sucrose Drosophila diabetes model",
  "title_text": "Metformin modulates survival, oxidative stress, and gene expression in a high-sucrose Drosophila diabetes model",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:17:37Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/499bpp03p1dwy",
  "venue": "PLOS One",
  "versions": []
}