title: Holothuria scabra extracts exhibit anti-Parkinson potential in C. elegans: A model for anti-Parkinson testing.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Parkinson's disease (PD) is associated with aggregation of α-synuclein and selective death of dopaminergic (DA) neurons in the substantia nigra, thereby leading to cognitive and motor impairments. Nowadays, the drugs commonly used for PD treatment, such as levodopa, provide only symptomatic relief. Therefore, seeking new drugs against PD, especially from plants and marine organisms, is one of the major research areas to be explored. This study aimed to investigate the anti-Parkinson activity of the extracts from the sea cucumber, Holothuria scabra, by using Caenorhabditis elegans as a model.
  
  
  METHODS
  H. scabra was solvent-extracted and subdivided into six fractions including whole body-ethyl acetate (WBEA), body wall-ethyl acetate (BWEA), viscera-ethyl acetate (VIEA), whole body-butanol (WBBU), body wall-butanol (BWBU), and viscera-butanol (VIBU). The extracts were tested in C. elegans BZ555 strain expressing the green fluorescent protein (GFP) specifically in the DA neurons and NL5901 strain expressing human α-synuclein in the muscle cells.
  
  
  RESULTS
  WBEA, BWEA, and WBBU fractions of H. scabra extracts at 500 µg/ml significantly attenuated DA neuron-degeneration induced by selective cathecholamine neurotoxin 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) in the BZ555 strain. Moreover, the extracts also reduced α-synuclein aggregation and restored lipid content in NL5901, as well as improved food-sensing behavior and prolonged lifespan in the 6-OHDA-treated wild-type strain.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study indicated that the H. scabra extracts have anti-Parkinson potential in the C. elegans model. These findings encourage further investigations on using the H. scabra extract, as well as its active constituent compounds, as a possible preventive and/or therapeutic intervention against PD.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Science , Mahidol University , Rama VI Road Bangkok, 10400 , Thailand.
authors.forename: Pawanrat
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chalorak
authors.affiliation: a Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Science , Mahidol University , Rama VI Road Bangkok, 10400 , Thailand.
authors.forename: Prapaporn
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jattujan
authors.affiliation: b Mahidol University , Nakhonsawan Campus, Nakhonsawan 60130 , Thailand.
authors.forename: Saksit
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8499-0798
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nobsathian
authors.affiliation: c The Coastal Fisheries Research and Development Center , Prachuapkhirikhun 77000 , Thailand.
authors.forename: Tanate
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Poomtong
authors.affiliation: a Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Science , Mahidol University , Rama VI Road Bangkok, 10400 , Thailand.|d Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Burapha University , Chonburi 20131 , Thailand.
authors.forename: Prasert
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sobhon
authors.affiliation: a Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Science , Mahidol University , Rama VI Road Bangkok, 10400 , Thailand.
authors.forename: Krai
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5700-2646
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Meemon
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000978:Antiparkinson Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001688:Biological Products / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D059290:Dopaminergic Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D047332:Holothuria / Q000737:chemistry*; D009410:Nerve Degeneration / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D016627:Oxidopamine / Q000633:toxicity; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000188:drug therapy*; D051844:alpha-Synuclein / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000978:Antiparkinson Agents; D001688:Biological Products; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D051844:alpha-Synuclein; D016627:Oxidopamine
keywords: Caenorhabditis elegans; Dopaminergic neurons; Holothuria scabra; Neurodegeneration; Parkinson's disease; α-Synuclein