Exploration of the Protective Effects of Aronia Melanocarpa Extract in an in vitro Model of Parkinson’s Disease

Abstract

Aim: In this study, we aimed to explore whether the Aronia melanocarpa (chokeberry) extract pre-treatment protects primary mouse astrocytes in an in vitro model of Parkinson's disease (PD) induced by the application of mitochondrial toxin 6-hydroxydopamine (OHDA) and if this effect was related to its antioxidant properties. Material and methods: Experiments were performed on primary mouse astrocytes that were exposed for 24 h to different concentrations of chokeberry extract (10, 50 or 100 µg/mL). OHDA was added to the cell culture medium for the next 72 h. Cell culture media were prepared for the lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) cell cytotoxicity assay and the cell lysates for the western blot analyses. Results: We determined that the pre-treatment of astrocytes with different concentrations of chokeberry extract alone does not significantly affect the LDH activity in the cell media samples. Application of OHDA, however, significantly increased the LDH activity while the pre-treatment of cells with chokeberry extract in concentrations of 50 and 100 μg/mL decreased the intensity of cell damage. Neither OHDA application, nor aronia pre-treatment affected the expression level of antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase 1, and the OHDA-induced decrease in glutathione peroxidase 1 protein expression remained unchanged by the tested antioxidant application. Conclusions: This study points to possible protective effects of chokeberry extract in an in vitro model of PD. The exact mechanism of the protective effect is still unclear and could be the subject of further research.