Apios americana Medik flowers polysaccharide (AFP-2) attenuates HO induced neurotoxicity in PC12 cells.

Oxidative stress is a critical cause for the progression of neurodegenerative diseases, indicating that screening natural antioxidant and pharmacological targeting of mechanism need more attention. Natural plant polysaccharides are the primary group of natural antioxidants showing mighty antioxidant activity. Therefore, a polysaccharide (AFP-2) from flowers of Apios americana Medik was isolated, purified and characterized. Then, a HO-induced PC12 cells oxidative stress model was established to investigate the neuroprotective role of AFP-2 and to clarify the potential mechanism of action against HO-induced neurotoxicity. It was found that AFP-2 reduced ROS production and mitochondrial damage caused by hydrogen peroxide in PC12 cells. In addition, data from transmission electron microscope and western blot displayed that AFP-2 significantly activated autophagy in PC12 cells via Akt-mTOR pathway. These results together qualify AFP-2 as an interesting natural polysaccharide worth further investigation as a neuroprotective agent.