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Abstract

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a motor disorder mostly affecting aged people, with not known standard therapy. The use of natural products is increasingly gaining attention for the treatment of different diseases. Baphia macrocalyx is a plant previously associated with antioxidant activities in in vitro studies. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the ameliorative potential of methanolic leaf extract of Baphia macrocalyx (MEBM) on rotenone-triggered toxicity in Drosophila melanogaster. To this end, the study used a neurotoxin, rotenone, to induce PD in the fruit-fly to create a chemical PD in vivo model. Using biochemical, behavioural and molecular analyses, this study revealed that B. macrocalyx rescued motor disability in PD-induced flies. Mechanistically, B. macrocalyx suppressed the oxidative stress, and lipid peroxidation increases generated by rotenone. In addition, expression levels of mRNA of antioxidant enzymes; superoxide dismutase and catalase were elevated in flies treated with rotenone, and normalized in flies that were co treated with MEBM. Conclusively, the ability of B. macrocalyx of ameliorating rotenone induced oxidative stress and PD-like locomotor deficits in D. melanogaster verify its antioxidant properties.

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