TY - JOUR
T1 - Dendritogenic Potential of the Ethanol Extract from Lippia alba Leaves in Rat Cortical Neurons
AU - Velásquez, María Marcela
AU - Lattig, María Claudia
AU - Chitiva, Luis Carlos
AU - Costa, Geison M.
AU - Sutachan, Jhon Jairo
AU - Albarracin, Sonia Luz
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 by the authors.
PY - 2023/9
Y1 - 2023/9
N2 - A reduced dendritic complexity, especially in regions such as the hippocampus and the prefrontal cortex, has been linked to the pathophysiology of some neuropsychiatric disorders, in which synaptic plasticity and functions such as emotional and cognitive processing are compromised. For this reason, the identification of new therapeutic strategies would be enriched by the search for metabolites that promote structural plasticity. The present study evaluated the dendritogenic potential of the ethanol extract of Lippia alba, an aromatic plant rich in flavonoids and terpenes, which has been widely used in traditional medicine for its presumed analgesic, anxiolytic, and antidepressant potential. An in vitro model of rat cortical neurons was used to determine the kinetics of the plant’s effect at different time intervals. Changes in morphological parameters of the neurons were determined, as well as the dendritic complexity, by Sholl analysis. The extract promotes the outgrowth of dendritic branching in a rapid and sustained fashion, without being cytotoxic to the cells. We found that this effect could be mediated by the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase pathway, which is involved in mechanisms of neuronal plasticity, differentiation, and survival. The evidence presented in this study provides a basis for further research that, through in vivo models, can delve into the plant’s therapeutic potential.
AB - A reduced dendritic complexity, especially in regions such as the hippocampus and the prefrontal cortex, has been linked to the pathophysiology of some neuropsychiatric disorders, in which synaptic plasticity and functions such as emotional and cognitive processing are compromised. For this reason, the identification of new therapeutic strategies would be enriched by the search for metabolites that promote structural plasticity. The present study evaluated the dendritogenic potential of the ethanol extract of Lippia alba, an aromatic plant rich in flavonoids and terpenes, which has been widely used in traditional medicine for its presumed analgesic, anxiolytic, and antidepressant potential. An in vitro model of rat cortical neurons was used to determine the kinetics of the plant’s effect at different time intervals. Changes in morphological parameters of the neurons were determined, as well as the dendritic complexity, by Sholl analysis. The extract promotes the outgrowth of dendritic branching in a rapid and sustained fashion, without being cytotoxic to the cells. We found that this effect could be mediated by the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase pathway, which is involved in mechanisms of neuronal plasticity, differentiation, and survival. The evidence presented in this study provides a basis for further research that, through in vivo models, can delve into the plant’s therapeutic potential.
KW - Lippia alba
KW - MAPKs
KW - PI3Ks
KW - dendritic complexity
KW - flavonoids
KW - neuropsychiatric disorders
KW - neurotrophins
KW - structural plasticity
KW - terpenes
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85172780730&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3390/molecules28186666
DO - 10.3390/molecules28186666
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85172780730
SN - 1420-3049
VL - 28
JO - Molecules
JF - Molecules
IS - 18
M1 - 6666
ER -