Open AccessThe protective effect ofMoringa oleiferaplant extract against glutamate-induced DNA damage and reduced cell viability in a primary retinal ganglion cell line
Author(s) -
Musarat Amina,
Ramesa Shafi Bhat,
Abeer Al-Dbass,
Nawal M. Al Musayeib,
Rania Fahmy,
Leen Alhadlaq,
Afaf ElAnsary
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
peerj
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.927
H-Index - 70
ISSN - 2167-8359
DOI - 10.7717/peerj.11569
Subject(s) - glutamate receptor , comet assay , moringa , viability assay , biology , neuroprotection , dna damage , phytochemical , excitotoxicity , retinal ganglion cell , pharmacology , traditional medicine , botany , biochemistry , retinal , medicine , cell , dna , receptor , food science
Background Glutamate excitotoxicity can cause DNA damage and is linked to many retinal and neurological disorders. In mammals, the visual signal from the eyes to the brain is conducted only by retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), which can be damaged by overstimulation of glutamate receptors. Methodology We examined the protective effects of Moringa oleifera seed extract against glutamate-induced DNA damage in RGCs. RGCs cells were treated with 5, 10, 50, or 100 µg/ml of M. oleifera seed extract and glutamate separately and then assessed for DNA damage using the comet assay. We also evaluated the viability of the RGCs after both treatments using the MTT test. Additionally, RGCs were pretreated with M . oleifera seed extract (50 or 100 µg/ml) for 2 h before glutamate treatment (100 µg/ml) to determine the potential protective effects of M. oleifera . We performed a phytochemical analysis of the M. oleifera seed extract using standard reactions. Results The M. oleifera seed extract was found to be rich in many phytochemicals. We observed a significant dose-dependent elevation in all comet assay variables in glutamate-treated RGCs, whereas M. oleifera seed extract treatments did not show any significant change in DNA integrity. Conclusion M. oleifera seed extract demonstrates neuroprotective effects, which suggests it may help to prevent the development of many neurodegenerative disorders.