Table 1.

Effect of Withania somnifera (WS) enriched diet on the endogenous oxidative markers, activities of antioxidant enzyme and cholinergic enzymes in whole body homogenates of the adult male Drosophila flies

	Withania somnifera
	0	0.005 %	0.01 %	0.05 %
Oxidative markers
ROSa	22.6 ± 1.200	19.5 ± 0.400	19.4 ± 0.800	18.2 ± 1.600*
LPOb	15.6 ± 1.010	13.4 ± 0.810	13.4 ± 0.120	11.9 ± 0.190*
HPc	0.68 ± 0.004	0.62 ± 0.006	0.61 ± 0.005	0.57 ± 0.004*
Antioxidant enzymes
CATd	0.12 ± 0.02	0.12 ± 0.01	0.13 ± 0.04	0.15 ± 0.02
SODe	239.0 ± 3.7	257.3 ± 5.4	269.0 ± 3.2	296.2 ± 6.9*
GSTf	0.079 ± 0.004	0.085 ± 0.005	0.090 ± 0.002	0.093 ± 0.003
Cholinergic assays
AChEg	0.067 ± 0.002	0.063 ± 0.003	0.064 ± 0.002	0.055 ± 0.002*
BChEh	0.029 ± 0.002	0.028 ± 0.002	0.026 ± 0.001	0.022 ± 0.001

Values are mean ± SE (in triplicates): Data was analysed by one way ANOVA followed by post hoc Dunnette test (*p < 0.05). Significances were determined by making comparisons between CTR vs. WSP (n = 50 flies per replicate, three such replication used for assay)

^aReactive oxygen species – pmol DCF/min/mg protein

^bMalondialdehyde – nmol malondialdehyde/mg protein

^cHydroperoxides – nmol hydroperoxides/mg protein

^dCatalase – nmol Hydroperoxides/min/mg protein

^eSuperoxide dismutase – Units/mg protein

^fGlutathione-s-transferase – nmol conjugate formed/min/mg protein

^gAcetylcholinesterase – nmol substrate hydrolysed/min/mg protein

^hButrylcholinesterase – nmol substrate hydrolysed/min/mg protein