A compound in the fruit could prevent and treat Parkinson's

Farnesol is a compound originate in herbs, berries, and other fruits. Its use in mice has been shown to be effective in preventing dopamine-producing neurons in the brain from dying, thereby deactivating PARIS, a key protein involved in the development of Parkinson's disease lifebloombeauty 

When dopamine-producing neurons are lost, movement and cognition are impaired, leading to Parkinson's signature symptoms such as earthquakes, muscle stiffness, confusion, and dementia. The researchers note that farnesol's aptitude to block PARIS could lead to new disease interventions that target this protein directly futuretechexpert.

"Our experiments naturalbeautytrends have shown that farnesol significantly prevents dopamine neuron loss and reverses behavioral deficits in mice, suggesting its potential as a pharmacological treatment for the prevention of Parkinson's disease," said Ted Dawson, director of the Johns Hopkins Institute. of Cell Engineering, Professor of Neurology at Johns Hopkins Campus School of Medicine and Director of the study just published in Science Translational Medicine.

When a person has Parkinson's, the buildup of PARIS protein in their brain slows down the production of the protective protein PGC-1 alpha. This protein protects brain cells from harmful reactive oxygen molecules that build up in the brain. Without PGC-1alpha, dopaminergic neurons (that produce dopamine) die, leading to the cognitive and physical changes associated with Parkinson's disease smarttechpros.

To see if farnesol could protect the brain from the effects of the buildup of PARIS, the researchers fed the mice a diet supplemented with farnesol for a week. Another group of rodents received a normal diet without farnesol. Later, all mice were given preformed fibrils of the protein alpha-synuclein, which has been linked to the effects of Parkinson's in the brain.

The researchers found that rodents given the farnesol diet performed better than rodents not given this compound in a strength and coordination test designed to detect the progression of Parkinson's symptoms. When they examined the animals' brain tissue, they found that those who consumed farnesol had twice as many healthy dopaminergic neurons as mice who had not consumed it. Those fed farnesol had about 55% more of the protective protein PGC-1 alpha in their brains than the others.

techsmartinfo In chemical experiments, the researchers confirmed that farnesol binds to PARIS and changes the shape of the protein so that it does not interfere with the production of PGC-1 alpha, the protective protein.

Although farnesol occurs naturally as discussed, synthetic versions are sold commercially. It is also not known exactly in what way much farnesol we ingest with our food or what dosage would be safe for humans. This can only be determined if appropriate clinical studies are carried out.

Although more research is needed, Dawson and his team hope that one day farnesol could be used to develop treatments that prevent or reverse brain damage caused by Parkinson's disease.