Search

Oxidative stress plays a pivotal role in several human diseases including Parkinson’s disease (PD). Curcuma comosa, a member of Zingiberaceae, is widely known in Thailand as an alternative medicinal herb for uterine inflammation and estrogenic properties. In this study (3S)-1-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-7-phenyl-(6E)-6-hepten-3-ol or compound 092 (C-092, or ASPP 092), a pure compound isolated from ethanol extract of C. comosa, was evaluated for neuroprotective effect on hydrogen peroxide-induced toxicity in SH-SY5Y cells. C-092 demonstrated a radical scavenging effect with comparable efficacy to ascorbic acid and exhibited a neuroprotective effect via suppression of apoptotic cell death as evidenced by a reduction in phospho-p53 and cleaved caspase-3 expression. C-092 causes induction of Nrf-2, which is a transcription factor responsible for the expression of a range of antioxidant genes. Moreover, the reduction in catalase activity caused by hydrogen peroxide was also alleviated by C-092 treatment. These results suggested the therapeutic potential of this compound for neurodegenerative diseases caused by oxidative stress.

Introduction: The etiology of schizophrenia (SCZ), an incredibly complex disorder, remains multifaceted. Literature suggests the involvement of oxidative stress (OS) in the pathophysiology of SCZ., Objectives: Determination of selected OS markers and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in patients with chronic SCZ and those in states predisposing to SCZ-first episode psychosis (FP) and ultra-high risk (UHR)., Materials and Methods: Determination of OS markers and BDNF levels by spectrophotometric methods and ELISA in 150 individuals (116 patients diagnosed with SCZ or in a predisposed state, divided into four subgroups according to the type of disorder: deficit schizophrenia, non-deficit schizophrenia, FP, UHR). The control group included 34 healthy volunteers., Results: Lower activities of analyzed antioxidant enzymes and GSH and TAC concentrations were found in all individuals in the study group compared to controls (p < 0.001). BDNF concentration was also lower in all groups compared to controls except in the UHR subgroup (p = 0.01). Correlations were observed between BDNF, R-GSSG, GST, GPx activity, and disease duration (p < 0.02). A small effect of smoking on selected OS markers was also noted (rho<0.06, p < 0.03)., Conclusions: OS may play an important role in the pathophysiology of SCZ before developing the complete clinical pattern of the disorder. The redox imbalance manifests itself with such severity in individuals with SCZ and in a state predisposing to the development of this psychiatric disease that natural antioxidant systems become insufficient to compensate against it completely. The discussed OS biomarkers may support the SCZ diagnosis and predict its progression., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)