Periodic protein‐restricted diets extend the lifespan of high‐fat diet‐induced Drosophila melanogaster males

Abstract Research has shown that sustained protein restriction can improve the effects of a high‐fat diet on health and extend lifespan. However, long‐term adherence to a protein‐restricted diet is challenging. Therefore, we used a fly model to investigate whether periodic protein restriction (PPR) could also mitigate the potential adverse effects of a high‐fat diet and extend healthy lifespan. Our study results showed that PPR reduced body weight, lipid levels, and oxidative stress induced by a high‐fat diet in flies and significantly extended the healthy lifespan of male flies. Lipid metabolism and transcriptome results revealed that the common differences between the PPR group and the control group and high‐fat group showed a significant decrease in palmitic acid in the PPR group; the enriched common differential pathways Toll and Imd were significantly inhibited in the PPR group. Further analysis indicated a significant positive correlation between palmitic acid levels and gene expression in the Toll and Imd pathways. This suggests that PPR effectively improves fruit fly lipid metabolism, reduces palmitic acid levels, and thereby suppresses the Toll and Imd pathways to extend the healthy lifespan of flies. Our study provides a theoretical basis for the long‐term effects of PPR on health and offers a new dietary adjustment option for maintaining health in the long term.