Hydroalcoholic extract of cyperus rotundus ameliorates H2O2-induced human neuronal cell damage via its anti-oxidative and anti-apoptotic machinery.

Hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)), a major reactive oxygen species produced during oxidative stress, has been implicated in the pathophysiology of various neurodegenerative conditions. Cyperus rotundus is a traditional medicinal herb that has recently found applications in food and confectionary industries. In the current study, the neuroprotective effects of Cyperus rotundus rhizome extract (CRE) through its antioxidant and anti-apoptotic machinery to attenuate H(2)O(2)-induced cell damage on human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells have been explored. The results obtained demonstrate that pretreatment of cells with CRE for 2 h before administration of H(2)O(2) for 24 h ameliorates the cytotoxicity induced by H(2)O(2) as evidenced by MTT and LDH assays. CRE exhibited potent antioxidant activity by regulating the enzymes/proteins levels such as SOD, CAT, GPx, GR, HSP-70, Caspase-3, and Bcl-2. The pretreatment restored H(2)O(2)-induced cellular, nuclear, and mitochondrial morphologies as well as increased the expression of Brain derived nerve growth factor (BDNF). The anti-oxidant and anti-apoptotic potentials of the plant extract may account for its high content of phenolics, flavonoids, and other active principles. Taken together, our findings suggest that CRE might be developed as an agent for neurodegeneration prevention or therapy.