Impact of plant extracts tested in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder treatment on cell survival and energy metabolism in human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells.

Abstract

Plant extracts such as Hypericum perforatum and Pycnogenol have been tested as alternatives to the classical ADHD drugs. It has been possible to describe neuroprotective effects of such plant extracts. A reduction of ADHD symptoms could be shown in clinical studies after the application of Pycnogenol, which is a pine bark extract. The impacts of the standardized herbal extracts Hypericum perforatum, Pycnogenol and Enzogenol up to a concentration of 5000 ng/mL on cell survival and energy metabolism in human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells has been investigated in the present examination. Hypericum perforatum significantly decreased the survival of cells after treatment with a concentration of 5000 ng/mL, whereas lower concentrations exerted no significant effects. Pycnogenol( induced a significant increase of cell survival after incubation with a concentration of 32.25 ng/mL and a concentration of 250 ng/mL. Other applied concentrations of Pycnogenol failed to exert significant effects. Treatment with Enzogenol did not lead to significant changes in cell survival.Concerning energy metabolism, the treatment of cells with a concentration of 5000 ng/mL Hypericum perforatum led to a significant increase of ATP levels, whereas treatment with a concentration of 500 ng/mL had no significant effect. Incubation of cells with Pycnogenol and Enzogenol exerted no significant effects.None of the tested substances caused any cytotoxic effect when used in therapeutically relevant concentrations.

• Authors: Andreas Johannes Schmidt, Jürgen-Christian Krieg, Ulrich Michael Hemmeter, Tilo Kircher, Eberhard Schulz, Hans-Willi Clement, Philip Heiser
• Journal: Phytotherapy research : PTR (Phytother Res) Vol. 24 Issue 10 Pg. 1549-53 (Oct 2010) ISSN: 1099-1573 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 20878709 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Chemical References

• Flavonoids
• Plant Extracts
• enzogenol
• pycnogenols
• Quercetin

Topics

• Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity (drug therapy)
• Cell Line, Tumor
• Cell Survival (drug effects)
• Energy Metabolism
• Flavonoids (pharmacology)
• Humans
• Hypericum (chemistry)
• Phytotherapy
• Plant Extracts (pharmacology)
• Quercetin (analogs & derivatives, pharmacology)