Dietary oxidized Trichiurus lepturus protein exacerbates aging in Drosophila melanogaster by disrupting metabolic homeostasis and gut microbiota

This study investigated the effects of dietary oxidized Trichiurus lepturus protein on aging in Drosophila melanogaster. Intake of high-oxidation-level protein (carbonyl content: 6.60 nmol/mL) significantly shortened lifespan by 44.93% and impaired climbing ability, cold stress resistance, reproductive capacity and antioxidant capacity. Untargeted metabolomics revealed extensive metabolic disturbances. High-throughput sequencing showed gut microbiota dysbiosis, marked by altered Pseudomonadota and Bacillota, and an increased relative abundance of Lactobacillus, Enterococcus, and Salmonella. Metabolite-microbiota interaction analysis suggests that oxidized protein accelerates aging potentially through a cascade of "metabolic disorder-microbial dysbiosis-inflammatory amplification". Our findings elucidate the mechanism by which dietary oxidized protein promotes aging, providing a theoretical basis for its health risk assessment and the development of antioxidant strategies.