PUBLICATION
Chicoric acid prevents motor dysfunction in zebrafish Parkinson's disease model through Nrf2-mediated antioxidant effect
- Authors
- Zhang, X., Li, M., Zhang, H., Che, X., Zhang, G., Han, B.
- ID
- ZDB-PUB-260129-23
- Date
- 2026
- Source
- BMC complementary medicine and therapies : (Journal)
- Registered Authors
- Keywords
- Chicoric acid, Motor function, Oxidative stress, Parkinson's disease, Zebrafish
- MeSH Terms
-
- Animals
- Antioxidants*/pharmacology
- Caffeic Acids*/pharmacology
- Disease Models, Animal
- NF-E2-Related Factor 2*/metabolism
- Parkinson Disease*/drug therapy
- Reactive Oxygen Species/metabolism
- Succinates*/pharmacology
- Zebrafish
- PubMed
- 41593652 Full text @ BMC Complement Med Ther
Citation
Zhang, X., Li, M., Zhang, H., Che, X., Zhang, G., Han, B. (2026) Chicoric acid prevents motor dysfunction in zebrafish Parkinson's disease model through Nrf2-mediated antioxidant effect. BMC complementary medicine and therapies. :.
Abstract
Background Chicoric acid (CA) has been used as a nutritional supplement, health food, and medicine because of its antioxidant property. This study aimed to investigate whether CA can prevent motor dysfunction in a zebrafish model of Parkinson's disease (PD).
Methods AB-strain zebrafish (24 hours post-fertilization) were incubated with 25 µM 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) with or without CA for 5 days. The levels of malondialdehyde, glutathione, reactive oxygen species and the activities of antioxidant enzymes in brain tissue were measured. Additionally, the expression of molecules from the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) signaling pathway were assayed by Western blot.
Results Compared with the control group, zebrafish in the MPTP group had impaired motor function. Treatment with CA prevented the changes of the total distance, the mean speed, and attenuated dopaminergic neuronal degeneration in the PD zebrafish model. CA also reduced the levels of malondialdehyde, reactive oxygen species and increased the antioxidant enzymes and glutathione level. Furthermore, CA augmented the expression of Nrf2, NQO1, HO-1, GCLC, and GCLM in the brain of the PD zebrafish model.
Conclusion Our findings suggest the protective effects of CA may be associated with regulating the antioxidant system, possibly involving the Nrf2 signaling pathway.
Genes / Markers
Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping