EXPLORING NEUROPROTECTIVE EFFECTS OF STEVIOSIDE, A GLYCOSIDE DERIVED FROM STEVIA REBAUDIANA: IN VITRO AND IN VIVO STUDIES

VALENTINA PASTORE; NATALIA COLETTIS; DE TEZANO PINTO, F.; MARCO, A.; CAROLINA MARCUCCI; MARINA RADEMACHER; MARIEL MARDER.

MEDICINA (BUENOS AIRES)

MEDICINA (BUENOS AIRES)

Lugar: Buenos Aires; Año: 2023 vol. v

0025-7680

Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disorder characterized by recurringseizures, with neuronal hyperexcitability and oxidative damagefrom free radicals being key factors in its development. Current antiepilepticdrugs control seizures in 70% of cases, while 30% aretreatment-resistant. In Latin America and the Caribbean, 68.2% ofcountries use natural resources for seizures. Medicinal natural productsand structural modification of active compounds are sought forhigh-impact public health disorders. Several preclinical and clinicalstudies suggest the use of stevia (Stevia rebaudiana B.) and itsderivatives with therapeutic and pharmacological applications, asthey exhibit a variety of biological activities. Here, we evaluate theneuroprotective activity of a stevia derivative, stevioside (STV). Weworked in vitro with human neuroblastoma cells (SH-SY5Y), whichwere treated under 4 conditions: A) STV (1-100 μM, 24 h); B) PTZ,a cytotoxic convulsant compound (20 mM, 24 h); C) H2O2 (1 mM, 48h); D) STV (30 and 100 μM, 24 h) plus B or C. It was observed thatSTV is not cytotoxic up to 100 μM. Furthermore, pretreatment ofcells with STV prior to PTZ and H2O2 treatments reversed both thedamage caused by PTZ and oxidative damage from H2O2, suggestingthat STV is a promising agent capable of preventing oxidativestress inherent to seizure episodes. On the other hand, in in vivoassays in male Swiss mice, following National Institute of Health(NIH) protocols, STV at 100 mg/kg, i.p., provided 75% protectionof mice treated with PTZ (85 mg/kg, s.c.) at 4 hours after administration.Additionally, mice brains were homogenated and antioxidantassays were performed. STV showed a decrease in TBARsformation (P