title: Standardized Bacopa monnieri extract ameliorates acute paraquat-induced oxidative stress, and neurotoxicity in prepubertal mice brain.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Bacopa monnieri (BM), an ayurvedic medicinal plant, has attracted considerable interest owing to its diverse neuropharmacological properties. Epidemiological studies have shown significant correlation between paraquat (PQ) exposure and increased risk for Parkinson's disease in humans. In this study, we examined the propensity of standardized extract of BM to attenuate acute PQ-induced oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunctions, and neurotoxicity in the different brain regions of prepubertal mice.
  
  
  METHODS
  To test this hypothesis, prepubertal mice provided orally with standardized BM extract (200 mg/kg body weight/day for 4 weeks) were challenged with an acute dose (15 mg/kg body weight, intraperitoneally) of PQ after 3 hours of last dose of extract. Mice were sacrificed after 48 hours of PQ injection, and different brain regions were isolated and subjected to biochemical determinations/quantification of central monoamine (dopamine, DA) levels (by high-performance liquid chromatography).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Oral supplementation of BM for 4 weeks resulted in significant reduction in the basal levels of oxidative markers such as reactive oxygen species (ROS), malondialdehyde (MDA), and hydroperoxides (HP) in various brain regions. PQ at the administered dose elicited marked oxidative stress within 48 hours in various brain regions of mice. However, BM prophylaxis significantly improved oxidative homeostasis by restoring PQ-induced ROS, MDA, and HP levels and also by attenuating mitochondrial dysfunction. Interestingly, BM supplementation restored the activities of cholinergic enzymes along with the restoration of striatal DA levels among the PQ-treated mice.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Based on these findings, we infer that BM prophylaxis renders the brain resistant to PQ-mediated oxidative perturbations and thus may be better exploited as a preventive approach to protect against oxidative-mediated neuronal dysfunctions.
authors.affiliation: a Biochemistry and Nutrition Department , CSIR-Central Food Technological Research Institute , Mysore , Karnataka , India.|b Space Bioscience Division , NASA Ames Research Center , Moffett Field , CA , USA.
authors.forename: Ravikumar
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hosamani
authors.affiliation: a Biochemistry and Nutrition Department , CSIR-Central Food Technological Research Institute , Mysore , Karnataka , India.
authors.forename: Gokul
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Krishna
authors.affiliation: a Biochemistry and Nutrition Department , CSIR-Central Food Technological Research Institute , Mysore , Karnataka , India.
authors.lastname: Muralidhara
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000592:standards / Q000627:therapeutic use; D034681:Bacopa / Q000737:chemistry*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D019587:Dietary Supplements / Q000592:standards; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism; D020834:Ethnopharmacology; D006540:Herbicides / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000633:toxicity; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D008515:Medicine, Ayurvedic; D051379:Mice; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000592:standards / Q000627:therapeutic use; D020258:Neurotoxicity Syndromes / Q000378:metabolism / Q000517:prevention & control*; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects*; D010269:Paraquat / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000633:toxicity; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000592:standards / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011897:Random Allocation
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D015415:Biomarkers; D006540:Herbicides; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts; D010269:Paraquat; D004298:Dopamine
keywords: Bacopa monnieri; Mice; Mitochondrial dysfunctions; Oxidative stress; Paraquat; Parkinson's disease