Abstract

There has been a lot of research regarding the correlation between gut flora and mental health disorders. Studies show that depending on the microbiota in the stomach, the individual is more or less likely to show symptoms of depression, anxiety, etc. Therefore, probiotics are being considered as a potential remedy for these disorders. This experiment set out to determine whether probiotics in combination with antidepressants serve as a more effective method of positively altering the bacteria and in turn lessening the symptoms of depression. The Drosophila were treated with chlorpromazine in order to put them into a depressive state, and then tested through CTrax, an online software developed by Caltech, to determine their anxiety levels. After, the Drosophila were separated into 5 tubes, a control, a tube where the drosophila only received antibiotics, a tube where the Drosophila received a dose of antibiotics and probiotics, a tube where the Drosophila only received the anti depressant, and a tube where the drosophila only received the depressant (chlorpromazine). After a week of observation, the Drosophila were tested using the CTrax software once again and their anxiety levels were  again recorded. The hypothesis was supported as the Drosophila that received both probiotics and antidepressants were the most active, indicating that they had recovered the most from their depressive state. This research furthers the notion that there is a significant correlation between the mind and gut. Moreover, it proposes the idea that probiotics in combination with antidepressants may serve as a better method for curing depression.