Evaluation of Chlorogenic Acid in Parkinson’s Disease Model: An In-vitro Study in 6-OHDA Induced SH-SY5Y Cell Line

Introduction: Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is the most common neurodegenerative movement disorder. Mitochondrial dysfunction is a key pathological driver of PD. Pharmacological agents used in PD are not disease-modifying therapies and do not influence mitochondrial activity. Diets rich in polyphenols have been shown to prevent pathologies associated with ageing. Aim: To evaluate Chlorogenic Acid (CGA), a phenolic acid, for its neuroprotective effect against PD in a 6-Hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) induced SH-SY5Y cell line using in-vitro assays. Materials and Methods: An in-vitro study was conducted at the Department of Pharmacology, Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, from September 2023 to November 2023. The human neuroblastoma cell line SH-SY5Y was induced using 6-OHDA. The activity of CGA against cytotoxicity in the 6-OHDA induced SH-SY5Y cell line was evaluated using the MTT assay with different concentrations (3.125 μM, 6.25 μM, 12.5 μM, 25 μM and 50 μM). Mitochondrial Membrane Potential (MMP) was evaluated using flow cytometry and antiapoptotic activity was assessed using Cytochrome C immunofluorescence by fluorescence microscopy. One-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) with Tukey’s posthoc analysis was used to identify statistical significance at p-value <0.05. Results: The CGA exhibited the maximum protective concentration on the 6-OHDA induced SH-SY5Y cell line at 25 μM, with a restoration of cell viability of 43.04%. CGA also improved the mitochondrial membrane potential and reduced the levels of cytochrome C release thus maintaining the mitochondrial membrane integrity. Conclusion: The findings provide evidence that CGA may exert an anti-PD effect through its action on mitochondrial dysfunction and the release of pro-apoptotic factors. The observed action on neuronal cells makes CGA a potential candidate for anti-PD treatment.