title: The antioxidant cocktail, effective microorganism X (EM-X), protects retinal neurons in rats against N-methyl-D-aspartate excitotoxicity in vivo.
abstract: Injection of the glutamate agonist N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) into the vitreous body of rats resulted in severe degeneration of neurons in the retina, with a loss of 81% of ganglion cells and 43% of non-ganglion cells. The cocktail EM-X is a novel antioxidant drink derived from ferment of unpolished rice, papaya and sea-weeds with effective microorganisms (EM-X). In animals treated with an intraperitoneal injection of EM-X, the loss of ganglion cells was reduced to 55% and that of non-ganglion cells to 34% when compared to untreated NMDA-injected retinas. Cell degeneration resulting from NMDA excitotoxicity, is thought to be mediated via oxidative stress mechanisms. The neuroprotective effect of the EM-X in this system is therefore likely to be due, at least in part, to its flavonoids, saponins, vitamin E and ascorbic content.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroinflammation, Division of Neuroscience and Psychological Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, Charing Cross Hospital Campus, Fulham Palace Road, London W6 8RF, UK. o.aruoma@ic.ac.uk
authors.forename: Okezie I
authors.initials: OI
authors.lastname: Aruoma
authors.forename: Juliet A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Moncaster
authors.forename: Desmond T
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Walsh
authors.forename: Stephen M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Gentleman
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ke
authors.forename: Yun-Fei
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Teruo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Higa
authors.forename: Ling Sun
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Jen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D016202:N-Methylaspartate / Q000633:toxicity*; D009410:Nerve Degeneration / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000517:prevention & control; D019936:Probiotics / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D012165:Retinal Ganglion Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; D016202:N-Methylaspartate