Neuroprotective effect of olive leaf extract in the mouse neuroblastoma cell line (NB2a): A good model to evaluate the neuroprotective effects of natural products

Abstract

Chronic neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, whose prevalence increases with aging, cause serious health problems with inadequate treatment options. Long-term exposure to low doses of pesticides like chlorpyrifos has been linked to an increased risk of developing neurodegenerative diseases. This study assessed the effects of olive leaf extract (OLE) on cell viability and neurite outgrowth inhibition induced by chlorpyrifos (25 µM) using the mouse NB2a neuroblastoma cell line. High concentrations of OLE as 100 to 3000 µg/ml reduced cell viability, likely due to its anticancer properties. On the other hand, lower concentrations of OLE as 3, 10, 30 and 100 µg/ml significantly reversed the inhibition of neurite outgrowth caused by chlorpyrifos exposure, demonstrating a neuroprotective effect. In conclusion, the regular consumption of OLE may effectively slow or prevent the advancement of neurodegenerative diseases linked to long-term exposure to low-dose organophosphate pesticides. Furthermore, the chlorpyrifos-induced moderate neurotoxicity model can be employed as a valuable screening method for evaluating the neuroprotective potential of natural products, including various plant extracts.