Ameliorating effect of Gardenia jasminoides extract on amyloid beta peptide-induced neuronal cell deficit

Abstract

The brains of Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients are characterized by large deposits of amyloid beta peptide (AP). Aβ is known to increase free radical production in nerve cells, leading to cell death that is characterized by lipid peroxidation, free radical formation, protein oxidation, and DNA/RNA oxidation. In this study, we selected an extract of Gardenia jasminoides by screening, and investigated its ameliorating effects on Aβ-induced oxidative stress using PC12 cells. The effects of the extract were evaluated using the 2′,7′-dichlorofluorescein diacetate (DCF-DA) assay and the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) reduction assay. To find the active component, the ethanol extract was partitioned with hexane, chloroform, and ethyl acetate, respectively, and the active component was purified by silica-gel column chromatography and HPLC. The results suggested that Gardenia jasminoides extract can reduce the cytotoxicity of Aβ in PC 12 cells, possibly by reducing oxidative stress. © KSMCB 2007.