Neuroprotective effects of Geranium Robertianum L. Aqueous extract on the cellular Parkinson's disease model

In recent years, botanical medicines alone or in conjunction with existing therapies have attracted considerable popularity as an alternative treatment for Parkinson's Disease (PD). For instance, Geranium robertianum L. (Geraniaceae family) has been used in folk medicine for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. However, its neuroprotective potential has not been well demonstrated.

Herein and for the first time, we have investigated the in vitro neuroprotective effects of leaf extract of G. Robertianum over a wide dose range (0-200 µg/mL) on the PD model using retinoic acid (RA)-differentiated SHSY-5Y cells and 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP+)-induced neurotoxicity. The neuroprotective effects were determined by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release assays. The antioxidant activity of the extract was measured by total antioxidant status (TAS) and total oxidant status (TOS). The effect of leaf aqueous extracts on acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity was also determined. Finally, cell death mechanisms were analyzed by flow cytometry.

Our results showed that G. Robertianum leaf extract ameliorated cytotoxicity and oxidative damage by MPP+. Moreover, G. Robertianum extract exhibited a protective activity against MPP+ induced apoptosis.

The current findings could lead to a promising new candidate for a possible cure of Parkinson's disease through neuroprotective mechanisms with respect to antioxidant and apoptosis inhibitory properties of G. Robertianum water extracts.