Department of Inorganic Chemistry, Medical University of Lublin, Chodźki 4a, 20-093 Lublin, Poland.
Independent Laboratory of Behavioral Studies, Medical University of Lublin, 4A Chodźki, 20-093 Lublin, Poland.
Int J Mol Sci. 2024 Jun 22;25(13):6866. doi: 10.3390/ijms25136866.
Citral, a common monoterpene found in numerous plants, is an interesting compound that has been shown to have various biological activities. Although it is widely distributed in nature and there are many studies presenting its biological activities, its anti-neurodegenerative activity, especially under in vivo conditions, is very poorly understood. Thus, this paper aimed to deepen knowledge about citral activity towards factors and symptoms of neurodegeneration. To accomplish this, several comprehensive tests were conducted, including the estimation of butyrylcholinesterase inhibition, the evaluation of hepatotoxicity and the detection of oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation in vitro, as well as an in vivo behavioral assessment using mice models. Additionally, ex vivo determination of level of the compound in the brain and blood of a tested animal was undertaken. The results obtained revealed that citral is able to inhibit butyrylcholinesterase activity and protect hepatic cells against oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation in vitro. Moreover, behavioral tests in vivo indicated that citral (50 mg/kg) improves memory processes associated with acquisition (passive avoidance test), both in acute and subchronic administration. Additionally, we found that the administration of citral at 25 mg/kg and 50 mg/kg did not significantly affect the locomotor activity. Beyond the aforementioned, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis revealed the presence of the compound in the blood and brain after subchronic administration of citral. Taken together, the results obtained in vitro, in vivo and ex vivo clearly indicate that citral is a promising monoterpene that can potentially be used towards cognition improvement.
柠檬醛是一种在许多植物中普遍存在的单萜类化合物,是一种具有多种生物活性的有趣化合物。尽管它在自然界中广泛分布,并且有许多研究报道了它的生物活性,但它的抗神经退行性活性,特别是在体内条件下,知之甚少。因此,本文旨在深入了解柠檬醛对神经退行性变的因素和症状的活性。为了实现这一目标,进行了几项综合测试,包括测定丁酰胆碱酯酶抑制、评估肝毒性以及体外检测氧化应激和脂质过氧化,以及使用小鼠模型进行体内行为评估。此外,还进行了在体测定受试动物脑中及血液中化合物水平的实验。研究结果表明,柠檬醛能够抑制丁酰胆碱酯酶的活性,并在体外保护肝细胞免受氧化应激和脂质过氧化的损伤。此外,体内行为测试表明,柠檬醛(50mg/kg)能够改善与获得相关的记忆过程(被动回避测试),无论是在急性和亚慢性给药时。此外,我们发现柠檬醛以 25mg/kg 和 50mg/kg 给药时,对运动活性没有显著影响。此外,气相色谱-质谱分析显示,在亚慢性给予柠檬醛后,该化合物存在于血液和脑中。综上所述,体外、体内和在体实验结果清楚地表明,柠檬醛是一种有前途的单萜类化合物,具有改善认知的潜力。