Protective effects of ethyl acetate extract of Eclipta prostrata against 6-hydroxydopamine-induced neurotoxicity in SH-SY5Y cells

Abstract

Oxidative stress plays an important role in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease. The neurotoxin 6-hydroxydopamine initiates cellular oxidative stress which has been implicated in neurodegenerative conditions related to Parkinson's disease. Eclipta prostrata, also known as false daisy, is a plant belonging to the sunflower family. It is a rich source of phenolic compounds that confer the plant an antioxidant activity. In this study, we investigated the protective effects of ethyl acetate extract of E. prostrata against 6-hydroxydopamine-induced neurotoxicity in SH-SY5Y cells. Pretreatment with the ethyl acetate extract of E. prostrata before exposing the cells to 6-hydroxydopamine significantly increased cell survival and reduced intracellular reactive oxygen species formation in a concentration-dependent manner. In addition, the ethyl acetate extract of E. prostrata suppressed the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio and reduced caspase-3 activity, a key modulator of cell apoptosis. Our finding clearly shows that the ethyl acetate extract of E. prostrata possesses a potential antioxidant capacity and attenuates SH-SY5Y cell death by blocking apoptotic signalling caused by 6-hydroxydopamine. E. prostrata could therefore be used as a potential herb to prevent oxidative stress-induced neurodegeneration in Parkinson's disease.