Year: 2024
Type: dissertation
Abstract: Neurodegenerative diseases, defined by the progressive loss of cells of the central and peripheral nervous system, represent a substantial and escalating global health concern. The development of novel therapeutic strategies is of vital importance, as the current treatments are primarily focused on symptom management and often have adverse side effects. Natural products, particularly those derived from plants, algae, fungi and bacteria, have long been recognised as a valuable source of medicinal compounds, with ongoing research indicating their potential for combating a range of diseases. In this context, algae have emerged as a promising natural resource, rich in diverse bioactive compounds such as fucoidans, flavonoids, fucoxanthin, among others which have been identified as having significant potential for neuroprotection. This study aimed to investigate the neuroprotective potential of a variety of macroalgae extracts. The initial step involved the evaluation of macroalgae extracts obtained from the company SeaExpert for their antioxidant effect using the 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay, Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP) assay, and Iron Chelating Activity (ICA) assay. Of these, Cystoseira humilis (CH), Pterocladiella capillacea (PC), Sargassum vulgare (SV) and Zonaria tournefortii (ZT) extracts demonstrated considerable antioxidant activity, thereby justifying further investigation in a Saccharomyces cerevisiae model. The resistance of yeast cells to oxidative stress was increased by extracts derived from PP, SV and ZT, which also attenuated intracellular oxidation caused by H2O2. Furthermore, these extracts demonstrated the capacity to reduce α-synuclein aggregation in a yeast strain that expressed human α-synuclein for the purpose of studying protein aggregation in relation to Parkinson’s disease (PD) with PP, SV and ZT also exhibiting the ability to decrease huntingtin aggregation in a strain that expressed huntingtin, which is associated with Huntington’s disease. The findings of this research identify algae as potential sources of antioxidant and protein antiaggregating compounds, with promising applications in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.
Language: Portuguese
Subfield: Aquatic Science
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7155479950