The Antioxidant Cocktail, Effective Microorganism X (EM-X), Protects Retinal Neurons in Rats Against N -methyl- d -aspartate Excitotoxicity In Vivo

• Published in: Free radical research 2003, Vol.37 (1), p.91-97
• Main Authors: Aruoma, Okezie I., Moncaster, Juliet A., Walsh, Desmond T., Gentleman, Stephen M., Ke, Bin, Liang, Yun-Fei, Higa, Teruo, Jen, Ling Sun
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Alzheimer's Disease; Animals; Antioxidants; Antioxidants - administration & dosage; Em-X; Female; Flavonoids; N -methyl- d -aspartate; N-Methylaspartate - toxicity; Nerve Degeneration - chemically induced; Nerve Degeneration - prevention & control; Probiotics - administration & dosage; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate - drug effects; Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate - metabolism; Retinal Ganglion Cells; Retinal Ganglion Cells - drug effects; Retinal Ganglion Cells - metabolism; Retinal Ganglion Cells - pathology
• ISSN: 1071-5762; 1029-2470
• DOI: 10.1080/1071576021000036605

Injection of the glutamate agonist N -methyl- d -aspartate (NMDA) into the vitreous body of rats resulted in severe degeneration of neurons in the retina, with a loss of 81% of ganglion cells and 43% of non-ganglion cells. The cocktail EM-X is a novel antioxidant drink derived from ferment of unpolished rice, papaya and sea-weeds with effective microorganisms (EM-X). In animals treated with an intra-peritoneal injection of EM-X, the loss of ganglion cells was reduced to 55% and that of non-ganglion cells to 34% when compared to untreated NMDA-injected retinas. Cell degeneration resulting from NMDA excitotoxicity, is thought to be mediated via oxidative stress mechanisms. The neuroprotective effect of the EM-X in this system is therefore likely to be due, at least in part, to its flavonoids, saponins, vitamin E and ascorbic content.