Insights into the Neuroprotective Potential of Epicatechin: Effects against Aβ-Induced Toxicity in <i>Caenorhabditis elegans</i>
Medical therapies to avoid the progression of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) are limited to date. Certain diets have been associated with a lower incidence of neurodegenerative diseases. In particular, the regular intake of foods rich in polyphenols, such as epicatechin (EC), could help prevent or mitigat...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2024-01-01
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| Series: | Antioxidants |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3921/13/1/79 |
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| author | Begoña Ayuda-Durán Lidia Garzón-García Susana González-Manzano Celestino Santos-Buelga Ana M. González-Paramás |
| author_facet | Begoña Ayuda-Durán Lidia Garzón-García Susana González-Manzano Celestino Santos-Buelga Ana M. González-Paramás |
| author_sort | Begoña Ayuda-Durán |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Medical therapies to avoid the progression of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) are limited to date. Certain diets have been associated with a lower incidence of neurodegenerative diseases. In particular, the regular intake of foods rich in polyphenols, such as epicatechin (EC), could help prevent or mitigate AD progression. This work aims to explore the neuroprotective effects of EC using different transgenic strains of <i>Caenorhabditis elegans</i>, which express human Aβ<sub>1-42</sub> peptides and contribute to elucidating the mechanisms involved in the effects of EC in AD. The performed assays indicate that this flavan-3-ol was able to reduce the signs of β-amyloid accumulation in <i>C. elegans</i>, improving motility and chemotaxis and increasing survival in transgenic strain peptide producers compared to nematodes not treated with EC. The neuroprotective effects exhibited by EC in <i>C. elegans</i> could be explained by the modulation of inflammation and stress-associated genes, as well as autophagy, microgliosis, and heat shock signaling pathways, involving the regulation of <i>cpr-5</i>, <i>epg-8</i>, <i>ced-7</i>, <i>ZC239.12</i>, and <i>hsp-16</i> genes. Overall, the results obtained in this study support the protective effects of epicatechin against Aβ-induced toxicity. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T11:06:45Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d9aaa7e34fd34d3e886e8bed4567fa43 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-3921 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T11:06:45Z |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Antioxidants |
| spelling | doaj.art-d9aaa7e34fd34d3e886e8bed4567fa432024-01-26T14:41:14ZengMDPI AGAntioxidants2076-39212024-01-011317910.3390/antiox13010079Insights into the Neuroprotective Potential of Epicatechin: Effects against Aβ-Induced Toxicity in <i>Caenorhabditis elegans</i>Begoña Ayuda-Durán0Lidia Garzón-García1Susana González-Manzano2Celestino Santos-Buelga3Ana M. González-Paramás4Grupo de Investigación en Polifenoles (GIP-USAL), Campus Miguel de Unamuno, Universidad de Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, SpainGrupo de Investigación en Polifenoles (GIP-USAL), Campus Miguel de Unamuno, Universidad de Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, SpainGrupo de Investigación en Polifenoles (GIP-USAL), Campus Miguel de Unamuno, Universidad de Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, SpainGrupo de Investigación en Polifenoles (GIP-USAL), Campus Miguel de Unamuno, Universidad de Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, SpainGrupo de Investigación en Polifenoles (GIP-USAL), Campus Miguel de Unamuno, Universidad de Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, SpainMedical therapies to avoid the progression of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) are limited to date. Certain diets have been associated with a lower incidence of neurodegenerative diseases. In particular, the regular intake of foods rich in polyphenols, such as epicatechin (EC), could help prevent or mitigate AD progression. This work aims to explore the neuroprotective effects of EC using different transgenic strains of <i>Caenorhabditis elegans</i>, which express human Aβ<sub>1-42</sub> peptides and contribute to elucidating the mechanisms involved in the effects of EC in AD. The performed assays indicate that this flavan-3-ol was able to reduce the signs of β-amyloid accumulation in <i>C. elegans</i>, improving motility and chemotaxis and increasing survival in transgenic strain peptide producers compared to nematodes not treated with EC. The neuroprotective effects exhibited by EC in <i>C. elegans</i> could be explained by the modulation of inflammation and stress-associated genes, as well as autophagy, microgliosis, and heat shock signaling pathways, involving the regulation of <i>cpr-5</i>, <i>epg-8</i>, <i>ced-7</i>, <i>ZC239.12</i>, and <i>hsp-16</i> genes. Overall, the results obtained in this study support the protective effects of epicatechin against Aβ-induced toxicity.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3921/13/1/79neuroprotectionflavonoidschemotaxisgene expressionparalysis |
| spellingShingle | Begoña Ayuda-Durán Lidia Garzón-García Susana González-Manzano Celestino Santos-Buelga Ana M. González-Paramás Insights into the Neuroprotective Potential of Epicatechin: Effects against Aβ-Induced Toxicity in <i>Caenorhabditis elegans</i> Antioxidants neuroprotection flavonoids chemotaxis gene expression paralysis |
| title | Insights into the Neuroprotective Potential of Epicatechin: Effects against Aβ-Induced Toxicity in <i>Caenorhabditis elegans</i> |
| title_full | Insights into the Neuroprotective Potential of Epicatechin: Effects against Aβ-Induced Toxicity in <i>Caenorhabditis elegans</i> |
| title_fullStr | Insights into the Neuroprotective Potential of Epicatechin: Effects against Aβ-Induced Toxicity in <i>Caenorhabditis elegans</i> |
| title_full_unstemmed | Insights into the Neuroprotective Potential of Epicatechin: Effects against Aβ-Induced Toxicity in <i>Caenorhabditis elegans</i> |
| title_short | Insights into the Neuroprotective Potential of Epicatechin: Effects against Aβ-Induced Toxicity in <i>Caenorhabditis elegans</i> |
| title_sort | insights into the neuroprotective potential of epicatechin effects against aβ induced toxicity in i caenorhabditis elegans i |
| topic | neuroprotection flavonoids chemotaxis gene expression paralysis |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3921/13/1/79 |
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