Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Parkinson’s disease (PD) are major neurodegenerative diseases with rapidly increasing health-care burden. Incomplete elucidation of complex underlying molecular disease mechanisms have resulted in clinical failure of several pharmacological interventions. In this regard, plant secondary metabolites, especially phenolic compounds with multiple functional attributes offer an exciting source of drug-discovery for neurodegenerative diseases. Maple syrup is a popular natural sweetener produced by concentrating sap from sugar maple (Acer saccharum) and red maple (Acer rubrum) and has been used in traditional native American medicine. In addition to sucrose, amino acids and minerals, maple syrup is also a concentrated source of maple sap derive phenolic secondary metabolites with potential health promoting effects. The objective of our research was to determine the neuroprotective effects of a phenolic-enriched maple syrup (MSX) extract devoid of sugars using in vitro (Murine BV-2 microglia and human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells) and in vivo models (Caenorhabditis elegans and Drosophila melanogaster) of neurodegeneration. In our study, MSX (25-100 µg/ml) decreased LPS induced inflammatory response in BV-2 microglia and significantly increased survival of human SH-SY5Y neuron cells in a co-culture (16.1- 25.1%). In addition, MSX (25-100 µg/ml) reduced 6-hydroxydopamine-induced mitochondrial cytotoxicity in SH-SY5Y cells (29.3-41.9%). In vivo, MSX (10 µg/ml) significantly delayed amyloid beta1-42 aggregation induced muscle paralysis in C. elegans and increased their maximum survival by 13%. Furthermore, treatment with MSX (10 µg/ml) rescued paraquat-induced loss of negative geotaxis (climbing) behavior by 32% in D. melanogaster model for neurotoxicity.

Potential neuroprotective effects of phenolic-enriched maple syrup (MSX) extract

2019 Spring National Meeting

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.