Acorus Calamus Extract And Its Component Alpha-Asarone Attenuate Murine Hippocampal Neuronal Cell Death Induced By L-Glutamate And Tunicamycin

The Asian traditional medicinal plant Acorus calamus and its component alpha-asarone exhibited various biological activities, such as antiinflammation and antioxidant effects. In the present study, we investigated the in vitro effects of A. calamus extract and alpha-asarone on oxidative stress- and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-induced cell death in hippocampal HT22 cells. A. calamus extract and alpha-asarone both significantly suppressed cell death induced by the oxidative stress inducer l-glutamate and ER stress inducer tunicamycin. A. calamus extract and alpha-asarone also significantly reduced reactive oxygen species (ROS) production induced by l-glutamate. Moreover, A. calamus extract and alpha-asarone suppressed the phosphorylation of protein kinase RNA-like ER kinase (PERK) induced by tunicamycin. These results suggest that A. calamus extract and alpha-asarone protect hippocampal cells from oxidative stress and ER stress by decreasing ROS production and suppressing PERK signaling, respectively. alpha-Asarone has potential as a potent therapeutic candidate for neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease.