Abstract
Camellia sinensis (green tea) is largely consumed, mainly in Asia. It possesses several biological effects such as antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. The objectives were to investigate the neuroprotective actions of the standardized extract (CS), epicatechin (EC) and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), on a model of Parkinson's disease. Male Wistar rats were divided into SO (sham-operated controls), untreated 6-OHDA-lesioned and 6-OHDA-lesioned treated for 2 weeks with CS (25, 50, or 100 mg/kg), EC (10 mg/kg), or EGCG (10 mg/kg) groups. One hour after the last administration, animals were submitted to behavioral tests and euthanized and their striata and hippocampi were dissected for neurochemical (DA, DOPAC, and HVA) and antioxidant activity determinations, as well as immunohistochemistry evaluations (TH, COX-2, and iNOS). The results showed that CS and catechins reverted behavioral changes, indicating neuroprotection manifested as decreased rotational behavior, increased locomotor activity, antidepressive effects, and improvement of cognitive dysfunction, as compared to the untreated 6-OHDA-lesioned group. Besides, CS, EP, and EGCG reversed the striatal oxidative stress and immunohistochemistry alterations. These results show that the neuroprotective effects of CS and its catechins are probably and in great part due to its powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, pointing out their potential for the prevention and treatment of PD.
Highlights
Green tea has attracted significant attention worldwide for its benefits for a varied number of disorders, ranging from cancer to weight loss [1]
Gait disturbances are among the most important motor problems associated with Parkinson’s disease (PD); they occur in all stages of the disorder and are one of the hallmarks for PD progression [45]
We showed that the C. sinensis standardized extract and its catechins, epicatechin and epigallocatechin gallate, present a neuroprotective effect on the striatal 6-OHDA model of PD, in rats
Summary
Green tea has attracted significant attention worldwide for its benefits for a varied number of disorders, ranging from cancer to weight loss [1]. Green tea and its bioactive constituents are best known for their antioxidant properties, leading to clinical studies in diseases associated with reactive oxygen species, such as cancer or cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases [3,4,5,6,7,8,9]. Evidences [10,11,12], including those from our laboratory [13], have indicated the anti-inflammatory properties of green tea and epigallocatechin gallate. Parkinson’s disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder after Alzheimer’s disease. It is characterized by a slow and progressive degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta. The cause of this neuronal degeneration may be poorly understood, it is largely accepted that neuroinflammatory mechanisms are certainly involved [14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22]
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