An in vitro study of neuroprotective properties of traditional Chinese herbal medicines thought to promote healthy ageing and longevity

Abstract

BackgroundAge is the leading risk factor for acute and chronic neurodegenerative diseases. The Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing, the oldest known compendium of Chinese materia media, lists herbal medicines that were believed to exert neither fast acting pharmacological effects nor discernible toxicity, but to promote general health and longevity. In modern terms, these herbal medicines could be considered as complementary health care products for prevention rather than treatment of diseases. In the present study, we examined whether a selection of 13 such herbal medicines exhibited neuroprotective activity.MethodsThe antioxidant capacity of the herbal extracts was determined using three non-cellular assays measuring the total phenol content (FCR assay), 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging capacity and oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC). Cytotoxic effects of the herbal extracts were assayed in cultured mouse cortical neurons and their neuroprotective activities were studied using staurosporine-induced apoptosis of the cultured neurons.ResultsMost of the herbal extracts showed negligible toxic effects at 100 μg/ml. However, Polygonum multiflorum and Rhodiola rosea exhibited some neurotoxicity at this concentration. Extracts of Ganoderma lucidum, Glycyrrhiza glabra, Schizandra chinensis, and Polygonum cuspidatum inhibited staurosporine-induced apoptosis by 30 – 50% in a dose-dependent manner. The neuroprotective effects of Polygonum cuspidatum were predominantly due to its major ingredient, resveratrol. The effective herbal extracts showed various levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging capacity, which was significantly correlated with their neuro- protective activity. However, P. multiflorum and R. rosea extracts proved to be the exception as they exhibited a high level of antioxidant capacity, but did not exhibit neuroprotective effects in cell-based assay.ConclusionsThis in vitro study provides evidence for neuroprotective activity of some Chinese herbal medicines traditionally used to promote healthy ageing and longevity. Our results provide a justification for further study of these herbal extracts in neurodegenerative animal models to assess their safety and effectiveness as a basis for subsequent clinical trials. These herbal medicines might potentially offer a novel preemptive neuroprotective approach in neurodegenerative diseases and might be developed for use in persons at risk.

<i>In Vivo</i> Screening of Traditional Medicinal Plants for Neuroprotective Activity against Aβ42 Cytotoxicity by Using <i>Drosophila</i> Models of Alzheimer’s Disease

“…SH-SY5Y Cells were grown at 37°C in an incubator with 5% CO 2 . To investigate the effects of P. multiflorum and S. commixta extracts on cell viability, cells were pre-treated with P. multiflorum or S. commixta extract for 30 min, and then treated with 25 µM Aβ [25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35] (Sigma-Aldrich) for a further 24 h. Then, the cells were incubated with 2 mg/mL of 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT; Sigma-Aldrich) at 37°C in a CO 2 incubator for 3 h. MTT medium was carefully aspirated, and the formazan dye was eluted using dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). The plate was shaken, and the absorbance was read using a spectrophotometer (Versamax) at a wavelength of 580 nm.…”

Review of clinical studies of Polygonum multiflorum Thunb. and its isolated bioactive compounds

“…[111] They show common pathology of aggregation and deposition of abnormal protein. For example, deposit of Aβ and tau in AD,[112] α-Synuclein for Parkinson's disease,[113] huntingtin protein in HD,[114] transactive response DNA-binding protein 43 in frontotemporal dementia and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.…”

Ancient herbal component may be a novel therapeutic for gouty arthritis

“…Rhodiola species are flowering perennial plants in Crassulaceae family that have been used in folk medicine in Asia and Europe for thousands of years. In traditional Chinese medicine, Rhodiola species was initially documented in Sheng Nong's herbal classic , the earliest known compendium of Chinese Materia Medica compiled 2000 years ago, as a top grade herb with the capacity to promote healthy ageing and longevity . Rhodiala species commonly refer to “golden root” or “arctic root”, presumably because this indigenous plant from the arctic region has been believed to own marked health‐boosting effects and part of the plant used in traditional medicine is rhizome or underground stem.…”