Abstract
Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are free radicals containing oxygen that seek to fill in empty spaces within their valence shells. ROS are especially harmful to embryos and fetuses as they interfere with cell signaling leading to birth disorders. In contrast, resveratrol, an antioxidant, pairs unpaired electrons in ROS before oxidation can occur. Therefore, I studied the effects of the resveratrol-containing foods, blueberries and red grapes, on the movement abilities of fruit flies exposed to dental resin, an ROS-releasing compound. I divided fly food media into four groups based on the presence of dental resin, blueberries, and red grapes. Each group consisted of four vials with four male and four female flies in each vial. I measured the climbing abilities of the adult flies on Day 2, 5, and 8 by calculating the percentage of flies that passed the climbing line in 30 seconds. I measured the crawling abilities of fruit fly larvae exposed to the food mediums by counting the number of full-body contractions in 60 seconds. In both assays, the dental resin group performed significantly worse than the control group indicating ROS release. Blueberries significantly combated negative effects of dental resin in both assays. Red grapes combated dental resin’s negative effects in the climbing assay but not significantly in the larval assay. I further monitored the development of these larvae into flies but found no significant difference between the groups. The results demonstrate natural solutions for reducing oxidative stress and birth disorders and encourage further research in these areas.