Abstract
The Mela Rosa dei Monti Sibillini is an ancient apple variety cultivated by Romans in the foothills of the Sibillini Mountains, central Italy, showing potential as a source of nutraceuticals. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the protective effects of the hydroalcoholic extracts from the peel (APE) and pulp (APP) of this fruit in an animal model of transient global ischemia. Chemical constituents were analyzed by liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC-DAD-MSn) indicating several polyphenols such as B-type procyanidins, quercetin derivatives and hydroxycinnamic acids as the main bioactive components. Acute pre-treatment of extracts (30 mg/kg, i.p.) significantly decreased the brain levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1β (p < 0.01) and TNF-α (p < 0.001 and p < 0.01 for APE and APP, respectively), the expression of caspase-3 (p < 0.01, For APE) and MDA (p < 0.05), a lipid peroxidation biomarker in rats. Both extracts restricted the pathological changes of the brain induced by ischemic stroke in hematoxylin and eosin assay. Moreover, they improved the scores of behavioral tests in grid-walking and modified neurological severity scores (mNSS) tests. In conclusion, these results proved this ancient Italian apple is a source of nutraceuticals able to protect/prevent damage from brain ischemia.
Highlights
One of the most common reasons for death and debility in the world is the stroke [1].There are two types of stroke, ischemic and hemorrhagic [2]
Apple Peel Extract (APE) and Apple Pulp Extract (APP) secondary metabolites composition were investigated by LC-DAD-MSn resulting in a complex pattern of phytocomposition were investigated by LC-DAD-MSn resulting in a complex pattern of phytoconstituents [21]
This study showed that pre-treatment with APE and APP had a protective effect on brain tissue by reducing pro-inflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress
Summary
One of the most common reasons for death and debility in the world is the stroke [1]. There are two types of stroke, ischemic and hemorrhagic [2]. Cerebral blood flow blockade and rupture of blood vessels occur in ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes, respectively. About 87% of strokes belong to the first type [3]. Many pathological conditions are associated with strokes such as atrial fibrillation, high blood pressure, aneurysms, diabetes mellitus, abnormal lipid profile, obesity and alcohol abuse [4,5,6,7,8]. Several neurological responses occur due to stroke and hypoxia including release of pro-inflammatory cytokines, infiltration of phagocytes, glutamate overactivity, reactive oxygen species (ROS)
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