Neuroprotective effect of yerba mate (ilex paraguariensis) on cultured dopaminergic neurons, from in vitro to Drosophila model of Parkinson?s disease.

BALLESTERO P; BERNARDI MA.; FERRARIO M.; SCHENK M.; TARAVINI IRE.; GERSHANIK OS.; GUERRERO S.; MURANO N.; FERRARIO JE.

Cordoba

Congreso; XXXIII Congreso Anual de la Sociedad Argentina de Investigación en Neurociencia.; 2018

Sociedad Argentina de Investigación en Neurociencia.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second worldwide neurodegenerative disorder in prevalence. Itsorigin is unknown, but its pathophysiological characteristic is the progressive degeneration ofdopamine-releasing neurons (nDA) of the Substantia nigra pars compacta.Recently, a study conducted in Argentina revealed that the consumption of yerba mate (YM) hasan inverse association with the risk of developing PD.With the aim of demonstrating the putative neuroprotective properties of YM on nDA, we areundertaking experimental approaches both in vitro and in vivo. First, we studied the survival ofmouse nDA on primary cultures treated with YM extract, and found that YM provides higherneuroprotection over nDA than other known agents, such as caffeine. To delve into the basis ofthis neuroprotection, we have also tested some of the major compounds of the YM extract, suchas chlorogenic acid and theobromine.Given these promising results, we hypothesized that the YM extract could also protect nDA in vivofrom the degeneration caused by the expression of a-syn in a Drosophila melanogaster model ofPD, and improve the related locomotor deficit. To reach this goal, we have set up theadministration of YM to these flies and produced preliminary behavioral and histological data.Our results demonstrate that YM protects nDA in vitro and set the grounds to study such effect ona simply, but very powerful, in vivo model of PD.