Ethnopharmacology relevance: Saffron is a valued herb, obtained from the stigmas of the C. sativus Linn (Iridaceae). Pharmacopoeias have described it as having a variety of actions, such as stimulant, anti-carcinogen, and anti-depressant. As a folk medicine, crocin has been reported to have anti-cardiotoxicity and anti-hepatotoxicity effects. This paper focuses on crocin, one of the bioactive molecules found in saffron that are known to have therapeutic effects. Crocin has been shown in numerous experimental studies to be beneficial in treating depression, however, there aren't many studies on its neurotoxicity. Aim of the study: Applications of arsenic trioxide (ATO) in medical settings is limited by its side effects. This study aims to examine crocin's protective effect against ATO-induced neurotoxicity and understand its potential molecular mechanism. Material and methods: A neurotoxicity model was created by administering ATO (4 mg/L/d). To counteract this, mice were intraperitoneally injected with crocin (100, 200 mg/kg/d). After 60 days, biochemical, histopathological, transmission electron microscopy, ELISA, and western blotting analyses were then performed. Results: Our results indicated that crocin decreased neuronal death and loss caused by ATO, countered oxidative stress damage, and mitigated pro-inflammatory cytokines. Mice treated with crocin also displayed positive signs of brain tissue recovery. Additionally, crocin reduced the protein expressions of NLRP1, apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a CARD (ASC), Caspase-1, GRP78, CHOP, and ATF4. Conclusions: This study attests that crocin can reduce ATO-induced neurotoxicity by safeguarding nerves from oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis, possibly through the activation of the Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway.
基金:
Research Foundation of Natural Science of Hebei Province Youth Project [H2022206190]
第一作者机构:[1]Hebei Med Univ, Hosp 4, Shijiazhuang 050000, Peoples R China[2]Hebei Key Lab Clin Pharm, Shijiazhuang 050000, Peoples R China
共同第一作者:
通讯作者:
通讯机构:[4]Hebei Univ Chinese Med, Sch Basic Med, Shijiazhuang 050200, Peoples R China[5]Hebei Univ Chinese Med, Affiliated Hosp 1, Shijiazhuang 050200, Peoples R China[*1]School of Basic Medicine, Hebei University of Chinese Medicine, Shijiazhuang, 050200, China
推荐引用方式(GB/T 7714):
Chu Xi,Li Chen,Hao Yiwei,et al.Targeting Nrf2/HO-1 signaling by crocin: Role in attenuation of arsenic trioxide-induced neurotoxicity in mice[J].JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY.2025,337:doi:10.1016/j.jep.2024.118858.
APA:
Chu, Xi,Li, Chen,Hao, Yiwei,Shi, Jing,Wu, Zhonglin...&Han, Xue.(2025).Targeting Nrf2/HO-1 signaling by crocin: Role in attenuation of arsenic trioxide-induced neurotoxicity in mice.JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY,337,
MLA:
Chu, Xi,et al."Targeting Nrf2/HO-1 signaling by crocin: Role in attenuation of arsenic trioxide-induced neurotoxicity in mice".JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY 337.(2025)