Neuroprotective Activities of Boophone haemanthoides (Amaryllidaceae) Extract and Its Chemical Constituents

• Published in: Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Vol. 25; no. 22; p. 5376
• Main Authors: Ibrakaw, Abobaker S, Omoruyi, Sylvester I, Ekpo, Okobi E, Hussein, Ahmed A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 17-11-2020; MDPI
• Subjects: 1-Methyl-4-phenylpyridinium; Acetone; Adenosine triphosphate; Adenosine Triphosphate - metabolism; Age; alkaloids; Amaryllidaceae; Amaryllidaceae - chemistry; Apoptosis; Apoptosis - drug effects; Bioactive compounds; Biological activity; Boophone haemanthoides; Carbon; Carbon-13 Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; Caspase 3 - metabolism; Caspase 7 - metabolism; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Shape - drug effects; Cell viability; Constituents; Humans; MPP; Neuroblasts; Neuroprotection; Neuroprotective agents; Neuroprotective Agents - chemistry; Neuroprotective Agents - isolation & purification; Neuroprotective Agents - pharmacology; Oxidative stress; Parkinson's disease; Plant Extracts - chemistry; Plant Extracts - pharmacology; Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; Reactive Oxygen Species - metabolism; Side effects; Signs and symptoms; terpenoids; Toxins; Tyrosol; Winter; South Africa; terpenoids; Boophone haemanthoides; neuroprotection; alkaloids; apoptosis; Amaryllidaceae; Parkinson’s disease
• ISSN: 1420-3049; 1420-3049
• DOI: 10.3390/molecules25225376

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative condition that progresses as age increases, and some of its major symptoms include tremor and postural and movement-related difficulties. To date, the treatment of PD remains a challenge because available drugs only treat the symptoms of the disease or possess serious side effects. In light of this, new treatment options are needed; hence, this study investigates the neuroprotective effects of an organic
extract (BHE) and its bioactive compounds using an in vitro model of PD involving the toxin 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP
) and SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells. A total of seven compounds were isolated from BHE, viz distichamine (
), 1α,3α-diacetylnerbowdine (
), hippadine (
), stigmast-4-ene-3,6-dione (
), cholest-4-en-3-one (
), tyrosol (
), and 3-hydroxy-1-(4'-hydroxyphenyl)-1-propanone (
). Six compounds (
,
,
,
,
and
) were investigated, and five showed neuroprotection alongside the BHE. This study gives insight into the bioactivity of the non-alkaloidal constituents of Amaryllidaceae, since the isolated compounds and the BHE showed improved cell viability, increased ATP generation in the cells as well as inhibition of MPP
-induced apoptosis. Together, these findings support the claim that the Amaryllidaceae plant family could be a potential reserve of bioactive compounds for the discovery of neuroprotective agents.