Convolvulus pluricaulis confers antidepressant and antioxidant effects through conserved metabolic and molecular pathways in Drosophila

<i>Convolvulus pluricaulis</i> (shankhpushpi) is a traditional herb used to treat depression and anxiety. Using <i>Drosophila melanogaster</i> as a model, we identified conserved metabolic and molecular pathways mediating its neuroprotective effects. Metabolomic profiling of flies fed <i>C. pluricaulis</i> revealed altered levels of ascorbic acid, glucose, and adenine monophosphate in the head tissue. Gene expression analysis showed significant modulation of <i>G</i> <i>lut1</i> (glucose transporter 1), <i>CG6293</i> (ascorbate transporter), <i>Rdl</i> (resistant to dieldrin), <i>GABA-B-R1</i> (GABA-B receptor 1), and <i>S</i> <i>od1</i> (superoxide dismutase 1). Dietary <i>C. pluricaulis</i> reduced depression-like behavior in a stress-induced model and elevated head ascorbate levels. Knockdown of <i>CG6293</i>, <i>S</i> <i>od1</i>, <i>G</i> <i>lut1</i>, or <i>GABA-B-R1</i> abolished the antioxidant effects, and knockdown of <i>CG6293</i> eliminated the antidepressant effects, implicating these genes as key downstream effectors. Supplementation with L-ascorbic acid mimicked the behavioral and oxidative resilience conferred by <i>C. pluricaulis</i>. Together, these findings reveal conserved antioxidant and anxiolytic mechanisms underlying the pharmacological effects of <i>C. pluricaulis</i> in <i>Drosophila</i>.