Title:Neuroinflammation and Behavioral Deficit in Rotenone-Induced Neurotoxicity
in Rats and the Possible Effects of Butanolic Extract of Centaurea
africana
Volume: 15
Issue: 1
Author(s): Sabrina Hadjira*, Amira Mansour, Ramdane Seghiri, Ahmed Menad, Fadila Benayache, Samir Benayache and Souad Ameddah
Affiliation:
- Laboratoire de Biologie et Environnement, Faculté des Sciences de la Nature et de la Vie, Université des Frères Mentouri
Constantine1, Constantine, Algérie
Keywords:
Rotenone, Centaurea africana, n-BuOH extract, rats, apoptosis, neuroinflammation.
Abstract: Background: Many studies have used rotenone (ROT) to create an experimental animal
model of Parkinson's disease (PD) because of its ability to induce similar behavioral and motor deficits.
PD is the most common age-related motoric neurodegenerative disorder. Neuroinflammation
and apoptosis play an important role in the pathogenesis of this disease.
Objective: This study investigated the effect of butanolic (n-BuOH) extract of Centaurea africana
(200 mg/kg, 16 days) on a ROT-induced neurotoxicity model in male Wistar albino rats.
Methods: Estimation of Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF-α) and Nitric Oxide (NO) levels along with
the myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity in brains was carried out in order to evaluate neuro-inflammation.
Oxidative stress, Caspase 3 activity (apoptosis), and behavioral alterations were also evaluated.
Results: In behavior assessment, using Ludolph Movement Analysis Scale, all ROT treated animals
showed a decreased locomotor activity. The mitochondrial dysfunction induced by ROT was
expressed by a decreased activity of complex I of the mitochondrial respiratory chain and increased
lipid peroxidation and caspase 3. Co-treatment with the n-BuOH extract significantly restored the
activity of complex I (65.41 %) compared to treatment with ROT alone. The n-BuOH extract also
reduced the neuroinflammation in rat brains by reducing MPO activity (75.12 %), NO levels
(77.43 %), and TNF-α (71.48 %) compared to the group treated with ROT.
Conclusion: The obtained results indicated that C. africana n-BuOH extract exhibited a protective
effect in rats.
