Neuroprotection of N-benzyl Eicosapentaenamide in Neonatal Mice Following Hypoxic–Ischemic Brain Injury

Abstract

Maca (Lepidium meyenii) has emerged as a popular functional plant food because of its medicinal properties and nutritional value. Macamides, as the exclusively active ingredients found in maca, are a unique series of non-polar, long-chain fatty acid N-benzylamides with multiple bioactivities such as antifatigue characteristics and improving reproductive health. In this study, a new kind of macamide, N-benzyl eicosapentaenamide (NB-EPA), was identified from maca. We further explore its potential neuroprotective role in hypoxic–ischemic brain injury. Our findings indicated that treatment with biosynthesized NB-EPA significantly alleviates the size of cerebral infarction and improves neurobehavioral disorders after hypoxic–ischemic brain damage in neonatal mice. NB-EPA inhibited the apoptosis of neuronal cells after ischemic challenge. NB-EPA improved neuronal cell survival and proliferation through the activation of phosphorylated AKT signaling. Of note, the protective property of NB-EPA against ischemic neuronal damage was dependent on suppression of the p53–PUMA pathway. Taken together, these findings suggest that NB-EPA may represent a new neuroprotectant for newborns with hypoxic–ischemic encephalopathy.

Knockdown of NRSF Alleviates Ischemic Brain Injury and Microvasculature Defects in Diabetic MCAO Mice

“…TTC staining was performed 1 day after ischemia/reperfusion (46,47). Freshly cut 1-mm-thick brain sections were stained with 2% 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC, Sigma-Aldrich, USA) for 15 min at 37 • C while protected from light, and then fixed in 4% PFA overnight and photographed.…”

The Efficient Synthesis and Anti-Fatigue Activity Evaluation of Macamides: The Unique Bioactive Compounds in Maca

“…Macamides are considered functional components of the maca plant, unique to this species. Research in recent years has shown that macamides have a variety of pharmacological activities, including a vital effect on endurance capacity [10], neuroprotection [10,11], colitis [12], ovarian injury [13], and testicular function and spermatogenesis [14]. Moreover, some macamides act as irreversible inhibitors of fatty acid amide hydrolases (FAAH) and have…”