IN VITRO EVALUATION OF ERK1/2 PATHWAY ACTIVATION BY BACOPA MONNIERI EXTRACT COMPARED WITH BACOPA MONNIERI EASITM IN A DIFFERENTIATED SH-SY5Y CELL LINE

Neuropathic injury is a pathological condition that occurs due to progressive neurodegeneration driven by oxidative stress, resulting in suppression of cellular survival cascade like Extracellular Signal-Regulated Kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) pathway. The present study aims to evaluate the neuroprotective effects of Bacopa monnieri extracts in regulation of the ERK1/2 pathway in a differentiated human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cell model of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) induced neuropathic injury. The cells were exposed to two-step differentiation process to achieve the mature neuronal cells characteristics followed by treatment with 100 µM H2O2 to induce neuronal damage and then administered with safe, non-cytotoxic concentrations (62.5 µg/mL and 125 µg/mL) of standard Bacopa monnieri extract and Bacopa monnieri EASITM (Hyssop QATM) an Energized Active Supplement Ingredient, both prepared to comprise 50% bacopasides. Hydrogen peroxide exposure significantly reduced the ERK1/2 expression in the differentiated cells, however co-treatment with the samples successfully restored the ERK1/2 levels in concentration dependent manner. The energized form of Bacopa monnieri extract (Bacopa monnieri EASI TM, Greenspace) showed the maximum ERK1/2 activation, making it a highly optimized therapeutic candidate for mitigating oxidative-stress induced neuropathic damage.