Abstract
Crocins are glycosylated apocarotenoids with well-established antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective properties. Although their biosynthetic pathway has been elucidated and successfully engineered in heterologous systems, the physiological impact of crocin-enriched foods on development, ageing, and mitochondrial health in vivo remains poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the effects of dietary supplementation with crocin-enriched tomato extracts on development, lifespan, locomotor performance, and brain mitochondrial function using Drosophila melanogaster as an in vivo model. Crocin supplementation significantly accelerated developmental progression, leading to earlier pupation and adult emergence, while simultaneously extending median lifespan and improving age-dependent locomotor performance. At the cellular level, crocin-fed flies displayed preserved mitochondrial morphology and a reduced mitochondrial redox imbalance in the adult brain. Together, these findings demonstrate that food-delivered crocins promote developmental efficiency while delaying functional senescence through the maintenance of mitochondrial homeostasis. This work provides experimental evidence supporting crocin-enriched tomatoes as a nutritionally realistic dietary strategy to enhance stress resilience and healthy ageing.
