Benefits of p-coumaric acid in mice with rotenone-induced neurodegeneration

The paper examines the use of natural antioxidant and anti-inflammation substances as therapeutic candidates for brain disease. Para-coumaric acid (pCA), a phenolic compound with a variety of medicinal properties, was used against deterioration caused by various diseases. Recently, pCA has gained attention for use against cardiovascular disease but less so for neurodegenerative disease (i.e., Parkinson's disease). Therefore, the present study intended to investigate the effect of pCA against rotenone-induced Parkinson's disease-like pathology in mice. Thirty male institute of cancer research (ICR) mice were randomly divided into three experimental groups: Sham-veh, Rot-veh, and Rot-pCA100. Rotenone (Rot) 2.5 mg/kg was subcutaneously injected every 48 h in the rotenone groups. Alternately, a 100 mg/kg pCA dose was given every 48 h via intragastric gavage to the Rot-pCA100 group for 6 weeks. Motor ability was assessed at the second, fourth, and sixth week before brain collection for biochemical and histological analyses. Results indicated significant motor deficits appeared from the second to sixth week after rotenone injection. Brain analysis detected a significant effect of rotenone in the increase of malondialdehyde and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α). This result was observed in accordance with a reduction of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and an increase of neuronal degeneration in the substantia nigra par compacta (SNc) and striatum. However, pCA was able to reverse all of the deterioration (i.e., reduced malondialdehyde and TNF-α) rotenone had caused, and it protected against TH and neuronal loss in the SNc and striatum. Therefore, the present study has depicted the neuroprotective effect of pCA against rotenone-induced Parkinson's disease-like pathology in mice. Benefits of pCA include anti-lipid peroxidation and anti-inflammatory effects, inhibition of neurodegeneration, and a nurturing effect on the TH level in the SNc and striatum, leading to mitigation of motor deficits.