Celastrus paniculatus seed water soluble extracts protect against glutamate toxicity in neuronal cultures from rat forebrain

• Published in: Journal of ethnopharmacology Vol. 93; no. 2; pp. 213 - 219
• Main Authors: Godkar, Praful B, Gordon, Richard K, Ravindran, Arippa, Doctor, Bhupendra P
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Shannon Elsevier Ireland Ltd 01.08.2004; Elsevier
• Subjects: Animals; Biological and medical sciences; brain; Celastrus; Celastrus paniculatus; Cells, Cultured - drug effects; forebrain; General pharmacology; Glutamate; Glutamic Acid; Medical sciences; medicinal plants; nervous system diseases; Neurodegenerative diseases; neurons; Neurons - cytology; Neurons - drug effects; Neuroprotection; Neuroprotective Agents - administration & dosage; Neuroprotective Agents - pharmacology; Neuroprotective Agents - therapeutic use; neuroprotective effect; Neurotoxicity; NMDA; Patch–clamp; Pharmacognosy. Homeopathy. Health food; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Phytotherapy; Plant Extracts - administration & dosage; Plant Extracts - pharmacology; Plant Extracts - therapeutic use; Primary neuronal cells; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; seed extracts; Seeds; Neuroprotection; AMPA; MTT; WF; FBNC; MK-801; Neurotoxicity; ANOVA; ED 50; CP-WSE; NMDA; Primary neuronal cells; TTX; PBS; Patch–clamp; AChE; Neurodegenerative diseases; AF; WSE; S.D; S.E; Glutamate; CP; HEPES; ROS; GABA; PCP; HF; Celastrus paniculatus; Cell culture; Seeds; Rat; Toxicity; Extract; Patch-clamp; Medicinal plant; Prevention; Dicotyledones; Angiospermae; Nervous system diseases; Pharmacognosy; Rodentia; Celastraceae; In vitro; Prosencephalon; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Animal; Excitatory aminoacid; Neurotransmitter; Spermatophyta
• ISSN: 0378-8741; 1872-7573
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2004.03.051

Aqueous extracts of Celastrus paniculatus (CP) seed have been reported to improve learning and memory in rats. In addition, these extracts were shown to have antioxidant properties, augmented endogenous antioxidant enzymes, and decreased lipid peroxidation in rat brain. However, water soluble extracts of CP seed (CP-WSE) have not been evaluated for their neuroprotective effects. In the study reported here, we used enriched forebrain primary neuronal cell (FBNC) cultures to study the neuroprotective effects of three CP-WSE extracts (a room temperature, WF; a hot water, HF; and an acid, AF) on glutamate-induced toxicity. FBNC were pre-treated with the CP-WSE and then with glutamate to evaluate the protection afforded against excitatory amino acid-induced toxicity. The criteria for neuroprotection were based on the effects of CP-WSE on a mitochondrial function test following glutamate-induced neurotoxicity. Pre-treatment of neuronal cells with CP-WSE significantly attenuated glutamate-induced neuronal death. To understand the molecular mechanism of action of CP-WSE, we conducted electrophysiological studies using patch–clamp techniques on N-methyl- d-aspartate (NMDA)-activated whole-cell currents in FBNC. WSE significantly and reversibly inhibited whole-cell currents activated by NMDA. The results suggest that CP-WSE protected neuronal cells against glutamate-induced toxicity by modulating glutamate receptor function.