X-Message-Number: 8428
Date: Thu, 31 Jul 1997 00:29:55 -0700 (PDT)
From: Doug Skrecky <>
Subject: 13'th update on fly longevity experiments 

    This is the thirteenth update on my fly experiments. The most recent
 results are as follows:

 Third Run                  Survival
 Supplement            DAY 17 DAY 36 DAY 48 DAY 59
 Control                64%    14%     0%     0%
 Activated charcoal     87     31     15      4
 Amchoor                73     42      8      0
 Angelica               56     18      0      0
 Anise                  45     43     19      4
 Bay                    69      0      0      0
 Beet                   62      0      0      0
 Betaine HCL            82     27      0      0
 Carrot                 40      0      0      0
 Celery seed            90      0      0      0
 Citrus bioflavonoids   65      5      0      0
 Comfrey                88      0      0      0
 Dill seed              82      0      0      0
 Green pea              76      8      0      0
 Hydroxycitric acid     47      0      0      0
 Kelp                   64      7     12      0
 Malt                   83     34     18      3
 Melatonin              54     31      6      0
 Melatonin 2X           70     29      6      0
 Melatonin 4X           65      6      0      0
 Nicotinamide 6X        28      0      0      0
 Paprika                69     43     29      7
 Para-aminobenzoic acid 82     17     11      0
 Purple yam             92     58      8      0
 Rosehip                88      6      6      0
 Sage                   66     19      7      3
 Sage 2X                67      0      0      0
 Sage 4X                94      0      0      0
 Silica                 88      7      0      0
 Spinach                40     20      0      0
 Tumerin                84      0      0      0

    Paprika still leads the pack with a 7% survival on day 59, followed by
 anise (4%), activated charcoal (4%), malt (3%) and sage (3%). All flies
 in the other bottles are dead. Seeing that the lowest dosage of sage
 offered the best survival it is possible that even lower dosages may
 offer better results.
    One of the items I record in my workbook that I usually do not include
 in these updates is the smell of the bottles when I am cleaning them out
 after using them in a run. I do this to monitor for supplements with good
 antibacterial properties. Only the bottle containing para-aminobenzoic
 acid thus far has had no smell. So it is possible that this might be a
 good additive to the fly food to prevent it from rotting.
    Certainly para-aminobenzoic acid is far less toxic than most of the
 bactericides being tested in run #4. Curiously it is the control bottle
 that is maintaining 100% survival so far. This is actually what SHOULD
 happen in the absence of pathogens. However I am surprised by this since
 diseased breeding bottles were used to provide flies for the fourth run.
    All of the supplements tested in several doses have always exhibited
 the highest survival at the lowest dosage used. This is making me suspect
 that I am overdosing my flies with supplements.

 Fourth Run                           Survival
 Supplement         Alive   dead       Day 10
 Control              9       0        100%
 bactine              6       2         75
 bactine 4X           4       4         50
 garlic               1       4         20
 garlic 4X            0      12          0
 KCL                  9       0        100
 KCL 4X               5       2         71
 mint listerine       0      10          0
 mint listerine 4X    0       8          0
 paprika              7       1         88
 paprika 4X           4       4         50
 pectin               2       3         40
 plax                 9       6         60
 plax 4X              0      20          0
 purple yam          18       3         86
 purple yam 4X       11      10         52
 salt                 7       8         47
 salt 4X              3       5         38
 sterisol             0       9          0
 sterisol 4X          0       7          0
 viadent              0       7          0
 viadent 4X           0      12          0
 water reduced 50%    9       1         90

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