Myricetin attenuates neurodegeneration and cognitive impairment in Parkinsonism.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease due to dopaminergic neuron degeneration. It mostly affects the aged population, leads to memory decline and loss of motor coordination. The present study investigates the neuroprotective role of myricetin a flavonol isolated from the brown seaweed Turbinaria ornata in rotenone induced Drosophila model of PD. Rotenone administration led to dopaminergic neuronal degeneration, dopamine depletion, impaired muscular coordination, gait disturbances, memory decline oxidative stress and apoptosis.  Ingestion of myricetin by Drosophila significantly prevented rotenone induced neuronal degeneration. These results confirm that myricetin exerts neuroprotective effect in experimental PD.