Ethnopharmacological relevance: Chrysanthemum morifolium Ramat (Asteraceae) has (CM) long been used in Korean and Chinese traditional herbal medicines with numerous therapeutic applications.
Aim of the study: To evaluate the neuroprotective activities of Chrysanthemum morifolium (CM) extract against 1-methyl-4-phenylpridinium ions (MPP(+)), Parkinsonian toxin through oxidative stress and impaired energy metabolism, in human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells and the underlying mechanisms.
Materials and methods: The effects of CM against MPP(+)-induced cytotoxicity and neuronal cell viability, oxidative damage, the expression of Bcl-2 and Bax, caspase-3 and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) proteolysis were evaluated by using SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells.
Results: CM effectively inhibited the cytotoxicity and improved cell viability. CM also attenuated the elevation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) level, increase in Bax/Bcl-2 ratio, cleavage of caspase-3 and PARP proteolysis.
Conclusion: These results demonstrate that CM possesses potent neuroprotective activity and therefore, might be a potential candidate in neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease.