Abstract
Some studies have ascribed a protective effect against neurodegenerative diseases to the β-carbolines harman (H) and norharman (NH), which occur mostly in coffee and coffee substitutes. We determined the concentrations of β-carbolines and undesirable compounds (such as acrylamide) in roasted coffee substitute ingredients and found that chicory coffee was optimal. Two in vivo experiments were conducted with seventeen-month-old male Sprague Dawley rats fed a diet with the addition of pure carboline standards in the first stage, and chicory in the second. We observed an increase in the level of H and NH in blood plasma, as well as higher activity of animals in the battery behavioral test, particularly in the second stage. The results of in vitro studies—particularly the level of the expression in brain tissue of genes associated with aging processes and neurodegenerative diseases—clearly show the benefits of a diet rich in β-carbolines.
Highlights
Li et al [9] examined the bioavailability of β-carbolines on living organisms, using harman at 1 mg/kg and 30 mg/kg body weight; they calculated its bioavailability as 19.41% via oral administration
The in vivo experiment was designed keeping in mind the data from the preliminary in vitro studies with the human spontaneously immortalized keratinocyte cell line (HaCaT), which did not show any toxic effect of β-carbolines in examined range of concentrations, IC50 > 100 μM (Figure S1)
We examined the effect of β-carbolines on the expression level of selected genes associated with aging, apoptosis, and neurodegenerative diseases in the brain tissue derived from rats fed chicory extract as a source of natural β-carbolines
Summary
Li et al [9] examined the bioavailability of β-carbolines on living organisms, using harman at 1 mg/kg and 30 mg/kg body weight; they calculated its bioavailability as 19.41% via oral administration. The aim of our study is to use an animal experiment to determine the neuroactive effect of β-carbolines supplied as pure compounds and in a natural source (coffee substitute). To determine the biological effect of analyzed β-carbolines on aged human cells we investigate cytotoxicity, reactive oxygen species (ROS) activation, and cell cycle changes using two models of cell lines: MRC-5 derived from a male fetus and AG20445A from an old patient diagnosed with PD. Both cell models were suitable for further aging needed to conduct our research
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