Neural Regeneration Research ›› 2014, Vol. 9 ›› Issue (16): 1514-1517.doi: 10.4103/1673-5374.139476

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Effects of naringin, a flavanone glycoside in grapefruits and citrus fruits, on the nigrostriatal dopaminergic projection in the adult brain

Un Ju Jung 1, Sang Ryong Kim 2, 3, 4, 5   

  1. 1 Center for Food and Nutritional Genomics Research, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Korea
    2 School of Life Sciences, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Korea
    3 BK21 plus KNU Creative BioResearch Group, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Korea
    4 Institute of Life Science & Biotechnology, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Korea
    5 Brain Science and Engineering Institute, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Korea
  • Received:2014-06-20 Online:2014-08-22 Published:2014-08-22
  • Contact: Sang Ryong Kim, Ph.D., School of Life Sciences, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, 702-701, Korea, srk75@knu.ac.kr

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Abstract:

Recently, we have demonstrated the ability of naringin, a well-known flavanone glycoside of grapefruits and citrus fruits, to prevent neurodegeneration in a neurotoxin model of Parkinson’s disease. Intraperitoneal injection of naringin protected the nigrostriatal dopaminergic projection by increasing glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor expression and decreasing the level of tumor necrosis factor-alpha in dopaminergic neurons and microglia, respectively. These results suggest that naringin can impart to the adult dopaminergic neurons the ability to produce glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor against Parkinson’s disease with anti-inflammatory effects. Based on these results, we would like to describe an important perspective on its possibility as a therapeutic agent for Parkinson’s disease.

Key words: naringin, parkinson’s disease, GDNF, inflammation, mTORC1, neurodegeneration