The study of the effects of essential oil of Scutellaria pinnatifida on fibrillation of alphasynuclein involved in Parkinson s disease

Alpha-Synuclein (ASN), one of the most abundant presynaptic protein of the brain, consists of 140 amino acids and is encoded by SNCA, which is located in the 4q21 region. Under unknown conditions, this protein, which is naturally soluble and unfolded in cytoplasm coverts into amyloid fibril structures rich in β-pleated sheets. Aggregation of ASN is a main pathogenic event in Parkinson s disease (PD) resulting in dopaminergic degeneration. The identification of natural phytochemicals inhibiting ASN fibrillation may have a great role in preventing PD progression. Different Scutellaria species are known as valuable medicinal plants, primarily due to their high flavonoid levels and pharmaceutical properties. Scutellaria pinnatifida (S. pinnatifida) is endemic to Iran; however, the information about its pharmaceutical features is limited. In this study, we assess the fibrillation of ASN in the presence of essential oil extracted from the aerial parts of S. pinnatifida. Fibril formation was analyzed by ThT and AFM imaging. Our results show the significant effects of S. pinnatifida essential oil to inhibit ASN fibrillation. The extra analysis was performed by thin layer chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry to identify the essential oil’s compositions. Among 30 compounds which were identified, the most abundant ones were Germacrene D, Spathulenol, and betabourbonene. These findings underscore the value of S. pinnatifida as a medicinal herb in preventing ASN fibrillation and consequently PD symptoms

کلیدواژه ها:

Alpha-Synuclein ، Scutellaria pinnatifida ، Parkinson ، Essential oil