Protective Effect of Cyperi Rhizoma Against 6-Hydroxydopamine-Induced Neuronal Damage

• Published in: Journal of medicinal food Vol. 13; no. 3; pp. 564 - 571
• Main Authors: Lee, Chang-Hoon, Hwang, Deok-Sang, Kim, Hyo Geun, Oh, Hyein, Park, Hanbyeol, Cho, Jung-Hoon, Lee, Jin-Moo, Jang, Jun-Bock, Lee, Kyung-Sub, Oh, Myung Sook
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.06.2010
• Subjects: 6-hydroxydopamine; animal models; Animals; antioxidant activity; cell lines; Cell Survival - drug effects; Cells, Cultured; Cresols - administration & dosage; Cresols - pharmacology; Cyperus - chemistry; Cyperus rotundus; dopamine; Female; free radical scavengers; functional foods; herbal medicines; Humans; in vitro studies; Male; medicinal plants; Mesencephalon - cytology; Mesencephalon - drug effects; Mesencephalon - metabolism; neurons; Neurons - cytology; Neurons - drug effects; Neurons - metabolism; Neuroprotective Agents - pharmacology; neuroprotective effect; Oxidopamine - toxicity; Parkinson Disease - metabolism; Parkinson Disease - physiopathology; Parkinson Disease - prevention & control; PC12 Cells; Phenyl Ethers - administration & dosage; Phenyl Ethers - pharmacology; Plant Extracts - pharmacology; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Reactive Oxygen Species - metabolism; Rhizome - chemistry; rhizomes; traditional medicine; South Korea
• ISSN: 1096-620X; 1557-7600
• DOI: 10.1089/jmf.2009.1252

Cyperi rhizoma, the rhizome of Cyperus rotundus L. (Family Cyperaceae), is a well-known functional food and traditional herbal medicine in Korea. It has been reported that Cyperi rhizoma has antioxidant and free radical scavenging activities that play a major role in protection of neurodegenerative disorders, such as Parkinson's disease (PD). In the present study, the neuroprotective effects of a water extract of Cyperi rhizoma (CRE) against 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-induced neuronal damage were evaluated in an experimental model of PD. In PC12 cells, CRE showed a significant protective effect on cell viability at 50 and 100 microg/mL. CRE inhibited generation of reactive oxygen species and nitric oxide, reduction of mitochondrial membrane potential, and caspase-3 activity, which were induced by 6-OHDA. CRE also showed a significant protective effect against damage to dopaminergic neurons in primary mesencephalic culture. These results suggest that CRE has neuroprotective effects against 6-OHDA-induced toxicity through antioxidant and anti-apoptotic activities in an in vitro PD model.