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In this article, we aimed to investigate the anti-aging activity of Lantana camara ethanolic leaves-extract in Drosophila melanogaster: survival and longevity (life span). L. camara leaves were collected and washed thoroughly of sand particles, air-dried, ground, and extracted by the maceration method using ethanol as a solvent. Phytochemical screening was carried out. 168-hour LC50 was determined by exposing fruit flies to concentrations ranging from 5 to 5000 mg/10 g diet for 7-days. Twenty-eight-day survival and longevity studies were carried out by administering L. camara ethanolic leaves extract at 5, 10, and 20 mg/10 g diet to 1–3 days old fruit flies. Each concentration was replicated four times with 50 fruit flies each. The emergence rate of young fruit flies from eggs laid by fruit flies administered L. camara leaves-extracts were also carried out. The total yield of the extraction was determined to be 18%. Phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of alkaloids, Flavonoids, Phenol, steroids, cardiac glycosides, and carbohydrates. 168-hour LC50 of L. camara was also determined to be 1135 mg/10 g diet. L. camara significantly prolonged (P

Instituto de Recursos Naturales y Agrobiología de Sevilla, CSIC, P.O. Box 1052, E- 41080 Seville, Spain E-mail address: delrio@irnase.csic.es (J.C. del Río), The chemical composition of leaf fibers of abaca (Musa textilis), which are commonly used for high-quality paper pulp production, was thoroughly studied. The results revealed that the lignin content was 13.2 % of the total fiber. The analysis of abaca fibers by Pyrolysis coupled to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS) released predominantly compounds arising from lignin and p-hydroxycinnamic acids, with high amounts of 4-vinylphenol. The latter compound was demonstrated to arise from p-coumaric acid by pyrolysis of abaca fibers in the presence of tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH), which released high amounts of p-coumaric acid (as the methyl derivative). Products from p-hydroxyphenyl (H), guaiacyl (G) and syringyl (S) propanoid units, with a predominance of the latter (H:G:S molar ratio of 1.5:1:4.9) were also released after Py-GC/MS of abaca fibers. Sinapyl and coniferyl acetates, which are thought to be lignin monomer precursors, were also found in abaca. The extractives content of the abaca fiber (0.4 %) was low, and the most predominant compounds were free sterols (24% of total extract) and fatty acids (24% of total extract). Additionally, significant amounts of steroid ketones (10%), triglycerides (6%), ω-hydroxyfatty acids (6%), monoglycerides (4%), fatty alcohols (4%) and a series of p-hydroxycinnamyl (p-coumaric and ferulic acids) esterified with long chain alcohols and ω-hydroxyfatty acids were also found, together with minor amounts of steroid hydrocarbons, diglycerides, α-hydroxyfatty acids, sterol esters and sterol glycosides., This study has been supported by the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología (MCYT) (projects AGL2002-00393 and AGL2005-01748). We thank Isabel M. Rodríguez for sample preparation and technical support. We also thank J.M. Gras and G. Artal (CELESA, Spain) for providing the abaca leaf fibers.