title: Neuroprotective efficacy of a combination of fish oil and ferulic acid against 3-nitropropionic acid-induced oxidative stress and neurotoxicity in rats: behavioural and biochemical evidence.
abstract: The beneficial effects of fish oil (FO) supplements on the central nervous system have been adequately demonstrated. However, FO supplementation at higher doses for longer duration is likely to cause oxidative stress in vivo. To overcome this, attempts have been made to enrich FO with known antioxidants/phytochemicals. In the present study, we examined the hypothesis that a combination of FO with ferulic acid (FA), a naturally occurring phenolic compound, is likely to provide higher degree of neuroprotection. This was examined by employing 3-nitropropionic acid (NPA), a well-known neurotoxin used to mimic behavioural and neurochemical features of Huntington's disease. Growing male rats administered with NPA (25 mg/kg of body weight (bw) for 4 days) were provided with either FO (2 mL/kg bw), FA (50 mg/kg bw) or FO+FA for 2 weeks. Interestingly, FO+FA not only offered significant protection against NPA-induced behavioural impairments, but also markedly attenuated oxidative stress in brain regions (striatum/cerebellum) as evidenced by the reduction in reactive species, malondialdehyde, hydroperoxides and nitric oxide (NO) levels. Further, FO+FA combination restored the activities of various antioxidant enzymes and the levels of cytosolic calcium. In striatum, activity levels of acetylcholinesterase enzyme and dopamine levels were markedly restored among FO+FA rats. Interestingly, NPA-induced mitochondrial dysfunctions were also attenuated among FO+FA rats. Collectively, our findings suggest the advantage of co-treatment of FO with known antioxidants to achieve a higher therapeutic benefit in the treatment of oxidative stress-mediated neurodegenerative conditions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Nutrition, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-Central Food Technological Research Institute, Mysore 570020, India.
authors.forename: Denny Joseph
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: K M
authors.lastname: Muralidhara
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D003373:Coumaric Acids / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004734:Energy Metabolism / Q000187:drug effects; D005395:Fish Oils / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D020258:Neurotoxicity Syndromes / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D009574:Nitro Compounds / Q000009:adverse effects*; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects*; D011422:Propionates / Q000009:adverse effects*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D003373:Coumaric Acids; D005395:Fish Oils; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D009574:Nitro Compounds; D011422:Propionates; C004999:ferulic acid; C015392:3-nitropropionic acid