title: Glioprotective effects of Ashwagandha leaf extract against lead induced toxicity.
abstract: Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha), also known as Indian Ginseng, is a well-known Indian medicinal plant due to its antioxidative, antistress, antigenotoxic, and immunomodulatory properties. The present study was designed to assess and establish the cytoprotective potential of Ashwagandha leaf aqueous extract against lead induced toxicity. Pretreatment of C6 cells with 0.1% Ashwagandha extract showed cytoprotection against 25  μM to 400 μM concentration of lead nitrate. Further pretreatment with Ashwagandha extract to lead nitrate exposed cells (200  μM) resulted in normalization of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) expression as well as heat shock protein (HSP70), mortalin, and neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) expression. Further, the cytoprotective efficacy of Ashwagandha extract was studied in vivo. Administration of Ashwagandha extract provided significant protection to lead induced altered antioxidant defense that may significantly compromise normal cellular function. Ashwagandha also provided a significant protection to lipid peroxidation (LPx) levels, catalase, and superoxide dismutase (SOD) but not reduced glutathione (GSH) contents in brain tissue as well as peripheral organs, liver and kidney, suggesting its ability to act as a free radical scavenger protecting cells against toxic insult. These results, thus, suggest that Ashwagandha water extract may have the potential therapeutic implication against lead poisoning.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, Punjab 143005, India.
authors.forename: Praveen
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, Punjab 143005, India.
authors.forename: Raghavendra
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, Punjab 143005, India.
authors.forename: Arshed
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nazmi
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, Punjab 143005, India.
authors.forename: Dinesh
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lakhanpal
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, Punjab 143005, India.
authors.forename: Hardeep
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kataria
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, Punjab 143005, India.
authors.forename: Gurcharan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kaur
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000096:biosynthesis; D005978:Glutathione / Q000378:metabolism; D018840:HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007854:Lead / Q000633:toxicity*; D008297:Male; D019006:Neural Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000096:biosynthesis; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D009566:Nitrates / Q000633:toxicity*; D010088:Oxidoreductases / Q000096:biosynthesis; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; D018840:HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins; D019006:Neural Cell Adhesion Molecules; D009566:Nitrates; D010936:Plant Extracts; C080352:mortalin; D007854:Lead; C017461:lead nitrate; D010088:Oxidoreductases; D005978:Glutathione; C030693:Ashwagandha