Differential effect of Ayurvedic nootropics on C. elegans models of Parkinson’s disease
Authors
Jalagam Anjaneyulu
Centre for Ayurveda Biology and Holistic Nutrition, The University of Trans-disciplinary Health Sciences and Technology (TDU)-Foundation for Revitalisation of Local Health Traditions (FRLHT), No 74/2, Jarakabande Kaval, Post: Attur, Via Yelahanka, Bangalore, Karnataka 560106, India
Vidyashankar R
Centre for Ayurveda Biology and Holistic Nutrition, The University of Trans-disciplinary Health Sciences and Technology (TDU)-Foundation for Revitalisation of Local Health Traditions (FRLHT), No 74/2, Jarakabande Kaval, Post: Attur, Via Yelahanka, Bangalore, Karnataka 560106, India
Ashwini Godbole
Centre for Ayurveda Biology and Holistic Nutrition, The University of Trans-disciplinary Health Sciences and Technology (TDU)-Foundation for Revitalisation of Local Health Traditions (FRLHT), No 74/2, Jarakabande Kaval, Post: Attur, Via Yelahanka, Bangalore, Karnataka 560106, India
Globally, there is increased incidence of Parkinson’s Disease (PD), which is the second most common age-related neurodegenerative disease. The currently available PD-therapeutics provide only symptomatic relief. Thus, there is an urgent need to devise an effective and safe treatment strategy for PD. The holistic approach of Ayurveda can be a potential effective strategy for treating PD. The integration of different medicine systems, such as modern bio-medicine and Ayurveda can be an effective strategy for treatment of complex diseases, including PD.
Objective
This study aimed to evaluate the neuroprotective mechanism of six Ayurvedic nootropics that are commonly used to treat PD.
Material and methods
Six Ayurvedic herbs, namely Mucuna pruriens (MP), Bacopa monnieri (BM), Withania somnifera (WS), Centella asiatica (CA), Sida cordifolia (SC), and Celastrus paniculatus (CP), were selected after consultation with Ayurvedic scholars and physicians. The mode of action of methanolic herbal extracts was evaluated using the Caenorhabditis elegans BZ555 and NL5901 strains, which can be used to model the two main hallmarks of PD, namely degeneration of dopaminergic neurons and aggregation of α-synuclein protein.
Results
All six herbal extracts exhibited neuroprotective effect. The extracts of BM and MP exhibited maximum protection against 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium iodide (MPP+ iodide)-induced dopaminergic neurodegeneration in the BZ555 strain. Furthermore, the herbal extracts, except CA extract, inhibited the aggregation of heterologously expressed human α-synuclein in the NL5901 strain.
Conclusion
Ayurvedic herbs used in the treatment of PD exhibited differential neuroprotective and protein aggregation mitigating effects in C. elegans.
Keywords: Parkinson’s disease, Ayurvedic nootropics, Caenorhabditis elegans, Dopaminergic neurons, Alpha-synuclein
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