Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha) Improves Fitness in Aged Drosophila by Reducing AKT Phosphorylation
- 1BENFRA Botanical Dietary Supplements Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA
- 2Oregon Institute of Occupational Health Sciences, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA
- 3Department of Neurology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA
Abstract
With increasing global life expectancy, there is a growing need for strategies to mitigate age-related declines in fitness and health. Withania somnifera (WS), commonly known as ashwagandha, has been traditionally recognized by ayurvedic medicine for its benefits in promoting healthy aging. More recently, it has also emerged as a potential treatment option for age-related diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkison’s disease, and Huntington’s disease. WS has been shown to improve sleep quality, has adaptogenic and antioxidant properties, and enhances exercise performance by improving muscle strength and recovery. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the effects of WS on aging are poorly understood. Therefore, we used Drosophila melanogaster flies to assess the impact of analytically characterized water (WSAq) extracts of WS root. To test effects during aging, the flies were treated at middle-age (4 weeks from eclosion) for two weeks. We found that WSAq reduced Akt phosphorylation in fly heads and that Akt is required to improve fitness in the fast phototaxis assays. We also determined that the effects of WSAq treatment depended on the Akt downstream pathways Tsc/mTOR, FOXO, and NRF. This supports that WS provides resilience to the age-related decline in fitness by modifying Akt signaling and affecting downstream pathways connected to aging and longevity.
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BibTeX
@article{law2026withania,
title = {{Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha) Improves Fitness in Aged Drosophila by Reducing AKT Phosphorylation}},
author = {Alexander D. Law and Mikah Brandes and Melissa Bollen and Amala Soumyanath and Doris Kretzschmar},
journal = {International Journal of Molecular Sciences},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.3390/ijms27188314},
url = {https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/27/18/8314},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha) Improves Fitness in Aged Drosophila by Reducing AKT Phosphorylation
AU - Alexander D. Law
AU - Mikah Brandes
AU - Melissa Bollen
AU - Amala Soumyanath
AU - Doris Kretzschmar
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/18
JO - International Journal of Molecular Sciences
DO - 10.3390/ijms27188314
UR - https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/27/18/8314
AB - With increasing global life expectancy, there is a growing need for strategies to mitigate age-related declines in fitness and health. Withania somnifera (WS), commonly known as ashwagandha, has been traditionally recognized by ayurvedic medicine for its benefits in promoting healthy aging. More recently, it has also emerged as a potential treatment option for age-related diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkison’s disease, and Huntington’s disease. WS has been shown to improve sleep quality, has adaptogenic and antioxidant properties, and enhances exercise performance by improving muscle strength and recovery. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the effects of WS on aging are poorly understood. Therefore, we used Drosophila melanogaster flies to assess the impact of analytically characterized water (WSAq) extracts of WS root. To test effects during aging, the flies were treated at middle-age (4 weeks from eclosion) for two weeks. We found that WSAq reduced Akt phosphorylation in fly heads and that Akt is required to improve fitness in the fast phototaxis assays. We also determined that the effects of WSAq treatment depended on the Akt downstream pathways Tsc/mTOR, FOXO, and NRF. This supports that WS provides resilience to the age-related decline in fitness by modifying Akt signaling and affecting downstream pathways connected to aging and longevity.
SN - 1422-0067
ER -