The article analyzes the feeding intensity, chemotaxis of larvae and changes in the expression of the sqh gene in D. melanogaster individuals cultivated on a nutrient medium with the introduction of ethanol extract from S. marianum seeds under pretreatment with hydrostatic pressure of 5, 10, 15 and 20 MPa. The preferred chemotaxis of larvae with respect to seed extract without prior pressure exposure was revealed. Changes in the intensity of nutrition in individuals of the experimental groups were not registered. A hypo-expressive direction of changes in the activity of the sqh gene was found when growing individuals on a medium with the introduction of an extract from seeds treated with pressure levels of 15 and 20 MPa. Variants of further experiments are proposed. © The Authors, published by EDP Sciences.