title: Effect of Lycoris chejuensis and Its Active Components on Experimental Models of Alzheimer's Disease.
abstract: We found that an extract of Lycoris chejuensis and its three isolated active components, narciclasine, 7-deoxynarciclasine, and 7-deoxy-trans-dihydronarciclasine, each significantly reduced the formation of amyloid-β peptides in HeLa cells transfected with an amyloid precursor protein carrying the Swedish mutation up to 45 ± 3.6%. The extract down-regulated amyloid precursor protein, especially the mature form by up to 88%, and reduced the ability of secretases to generate toxic amyloid-β. Double-transgenic mice treated with the extract for 4 months also showed significantly reduced levels of amyloid-β and plaques while exhibiting improved memory functions in the Morris water maze and novel object recognition tests. In conclusion, the extract and isolated active components of L. chejuensis decreased the production of amyloid-β by attenuating amyloid precursor protein levels. Furthermore, the extract improved the disrupted memory functions in animals while inhibiting amyloid plaque formation. Thus, this extract, as well as its active components, could prove beneficial in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.
authors.affiliation: †Natural Products Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, 290 Daejeon-dong, Gangneung, Gangwon-do 210-340, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Joonki
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: ‡Department of Physiology, Samsung Biomedical Research Institute, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Suwon, Gyeonggi-do 440-746, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Yurim
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: ‡Department of Physiology, Samsung Biomedical Research Institute, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Suwon, Gyeonggi-do 440-746, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Yoon Sun
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Chun
authors.affiliation: †Natural Products Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, 290 Daejeon-dong, Gangneung, Gangwon-do 210-340, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jin Wook
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Cha
authors.affiliation: †Natural Products Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, 290 Daejeon-dong, Gangneung, Gangwon-do 210-340, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Hak Cheol
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Kwon
authors.forename: Myung Sook
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.affiliation: ‡Department of Physiology, Samsung Biomedical Research Institute, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Suwon, Gyeonggi-do 440-746, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Sungkwon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.affiliation: †Natural Products Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, 290 Daejeon-dong, Gangneung, Gangwon-do 210-340, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Hyun Ok
authors.initials: HO
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000523:psychology; D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006801:Humans; D031426:Lycoris / Q000737:chemistry*; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000008:administration & dosage*
chemical_list: D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides; D010936:Plant Extracts
keywords: Alzheimer’s disease; Amyloid-beta; Amyloid-beta precursor protein; Lycoris chejuensis; Narciclasine