Herbal Antioxidant Supports Brain Health

A new study investigated the effect of a powerful dietary antioxidant on the development of experimentally induced Parkinson’s disease. Approximately one million Americans suffer from Parkinson’s disease, with an estimated 60,000 new cases diagnosed each year. Parkinson’s disease is characterized by decreased levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine in the area of the brain known as the substantia nigra and patients exhibit symptoms including resting tremors, slow movements (bradykinesia), rigidity and postural instability.

In an animal model of Parkinson’s disease, investigators treated rats with trans-resveratrol. Trans-resveratrol, found in high concentrations in the skin of red grapes and the root and stems of the Giant Knotweed, is a potent antioxidant with significant anti-inflammatory activity. In this study, rats were pre-treated with trans-resveratrol for 15 days then were administered 6-hydroxydopamine, a molecule that induces Parkinson’s disease.  After 3 weeks, the rats were evaluated for neurobehavioral function and after 4 weeks, the rats’ brains were evaluated for measurements of free radical damage, antioxidant levels and activity of antioxidant enzymes and dopamine levels.

The results showed that the rats receiving trans-resveratrol treatment had significantly increased measurements of antioxidant levels and decreased measurements of free radical damage compared to the rats in the control group. Additionally, trans-resveratrol treatment decreased dopamine loss and protected the nerve cells in the substantia nigra from oxidative damage.

The study authors stated, “Thus, resveratrol may be used to reduce the deterioration caused by free radicals thereby preventing subsequent behavioral, biochemical and histopathological changes which occur during Parkinson’s disease.”

Reference:

Khan MM, Ahmad A, Ishrat T, Badruzzaman M, Hoda N, Raza SS, Khan A, Khuwaja G, Javed H, Vaibhav K, Islam F. Resveratrol attenuates 6-hydroxydopamine-induced oxidative damage and dopamine depletion in rat model of Parkinson’s disease. Brain Res. 2010 Feb 15. Published Online Ahead of Print.