Search

Gamma-oryzanol (ORY), found in rice ( Oryza sativa L.), is a mixture of ferulic acid esters with triterpene alcohols, well-known for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Our past research demonstrated its positive impact on cognitive function in adult mice, influencing synaptic plasticity and neuroprotection. In this study, we explored whether ORY can exert neuro-differentiating effects by using different experimental models. For this purpose, chemical characterization identified four components that are most abundant in ORY. In human neuroblastoma cells, we showed ORY's ability to stimulate neurite outgrowth, upregulating the expression of GAP43, BDNF, and TrkB genes. In addition, ORY was found to guide adult mouse hippocampal neural progenitor cells (NPCs) toward a neuronal commitment. Microinjection of ORY in zebrafish Tg ( -3.1 neurog1 :GFP) amplified neurog1 -GFP signal, islet1 , and bdnf mRNA levels. Zebrafish nrf2a and nrf2b morphants (MOs) were utilized to assess ORY effects in the presence or absence of Nrf2. Notably, ORY's ability to activate bdnf was nullified in nrf2a-MO and nrf2b-MO . Furthermore, computational analysis suggested ORY's single components have different affinities for the Keap1-Kelch domain. In conclusion, although more in-depth studies are needed, our findings position ORY as a potential source of bioactive molecules with neuro-differentiating potential involving the Nrf2 pathway.

Zebrafish larvae show a clear and distinct pattern of swimming in response to light and dark conditions, following the development of a swim bladder at 4 days post fertilization. This swimming behavior is increasingly employed in the screening of neuroactive drugs. The recent emergence of high-throughput techniques for the automatic tracking of zebrafish larvae has further allowed an objective and efficient way of finding subtle behavioral changes that could go unnoticed during manual observations. This review highlights the use of zebrafish larvae as a high-throughput behavioral model for the screening of neuroactive compounds. We describe, in brief, the behavior repertoire of zebrafish larvae. Then, we focus on the utilization of light-dark locomotion test in identifying and screening of neuroactive compounds.