Rose essential oil diminishes dopaminergic neuron degenerations and reduces α‐synuclein aggregation in Caenorhabditis elegans models of Parkinson's disease

• Published in: Phytotherapy research 2023-07, Vol.37 (7), p.2877-2893
• Main Authors: Muhammad, Fahim, Liu, Yan, Wang, Ningbo, Zhao, Longhe, Zhou, Yangtao, Yang, Hui, Li, Hongyu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 6‐hydroxydopamine; alpha-Synuclein - metabolism; alpha-Synuclein - pharmacology; alpha-Synuclein - therapeutic use; Animal models; Animals; Animals, Genetically Modified; Caenorhabditis elegans; Caenorhabditis elegans - metabolism; Chymotrypsin; Citronellol; Degeneration; Disabilities; Disease Models, Animal; Dopamine receptors; Dopaminergic Neurons; Drug screening; Essential oils; Life span; Movement disorders; Nematodes; Nerve Degeneration; Neurodegeneration; Neurodegenerative diseases; Neuroprotection; Neurotoxicity; Oils & fats; Oils, Volatile - pharmacology; Oils, Volatile - therapeutic use; Oxidative stress; Parkinson Disease - drug therapy; Parkinson Disease - pathology; Parkinson's disease; Proteasomes; reactive oxygen species; Rosa; rose essential oil; Synuclein; Toxicity; α‐Synuclein
• ISSN: 0951-418X; 1099-1573
• DOI: 10.1002/ptr.7783

Parkinson's disease (P.D.) is the second most progressive neurodegenerative disorder in the elderly. Degeneration of dopaminergic (DA) neurons and α‐synuclein (α‐Syn) accumulated toxicity is the major contributor to this disease. At present, the disease has no effective treatment. Many recent studies focus on identifying novel therapeutics that provide benefits to stop the disease progression in P.D. patients. Screening novel and effective drugs in P.D. animal models is time‐ and cost‐consuming. Rose Essential Oil (REO) extracted from Rosa Rugosa species (R. Setate × R. Rugosa). REO contains Citronellol, Geraniol, and Octadiene that possess anti‐Aβ, anti‐oxidative, and anti‐depression‐like properties, but no reports have defined the REO effect on P.D. yet. The present study examines the REO neuroprotective potential in transgenic Caenorhabditis elegans P.D. models. We observed that REO reduced α‐Syn aggregations and diminished DA neuron degenerations induced by 6‐OHDA, reduced food‐sensing behavioural disabilities, and prolonged the lifespan of the nematode. Moreover, REO augmented the chymotrypsin‐like proteasome and SOD‐3 activities. Further, we observed the anti‐oxidative role of REO by reducing internal cells ROS. Together, these findings supported REO as an anti‐PD drug and may exert its effects by lowering oxidative stress via the anti‐oxidative pathway.