Anti-aging potential of Tremella fuciformis polysaccharides: Protection against blue light-induced oxidative stress in Drosophila

This study examines the protective effects of Tremella fuciformis polysaccharides (TFPs) against blue light-induced aging using Drosophila as a model. Under 2500 lx blue light irradiation, TFPs significantly extended both median and maximum lifespan, with the maximum lifespan increasing by 21% ( P < 0.01) and 20% ( P < 0.05) in females and males, respectively. TFPs supplementation enhanced climbing ability and antioxidant capacity by elevating activities of SOD, CAT, and GST, as well as increasing GSH content, thereby markedly improving oxidative stress markers. In 15-day-old females exposed to blue light, MDA, H 2 O 2 , and ROS levels decreased by 35% ( P < 0.01), 30% ( P < 0.001), and 19% ( P < 0.01), respectively, while total thiol content increased by 92% ( P < 0.001). Furthermore, TFPs effectively reduced pigment accumulation in the eyes of 20-day-old females. TFPs treatment significantly upregulated the expression of antioxidant enzyme genes ( SOD1 , SOD2 , and CAT ) as well as Keap1 and Nrf2 genes ( P < 0.05), enhanced intestinal autophagolysosomes formation, eliminated excessive ROS, and suppressed intestinal epithelial cell death. Metabolomic analysis identified a significant increase in 24 metabolites associated with delayed oxidative aging and a decrease in 12 metabolites linked to accelerated aging. These findings suggest that TFPs alleviate blue light-induced oxidative stress in Drosophila , providing mechanistic insights and theoretical support for their potential anti-aging effects against blue light exposure.