Spathulenol attenuates 6-hydroxydopamine induced neurotoxicity in SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells

Neurodegeneration is a progressive loss of neuronal function in certain parts of brain and spinal cord which lead to many neurodegenerative disorders. Phytocompounds has become a reliable treatment for numerous diseases as they uphold various biological properties within them. The present study had explored the neuroprotective efficacy of spathulenol (component of essential oil) in vitro in SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells by inducing neuronal damage through treatment with 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA). To demonstrate the efficacy of spathulenol various assays involving testing its potency on reducing the ROS production, maintaining the mitochondrial integrity, and also its role in neuroprotection was validated through SH-SY5Y cells. The cells were treated with 6-OHDA (100 μM) and spathulenol (1 to 20 μM). Our results depicted that the cells treated with 6-OHDA alone causes membrane blebbing and cell shrinkage while the treatment with both 6-OHDA and spathulenol had ensued recovery of damaged cells in dose dependent way. The study had also highlighted the neuroprotective property of spathulenol amidst 6-OHDA treatment through relieving the cells from oxidative stress and also by maintaining the mitochondrial membrane integrity. These results had evinced the use of spathulenol in restoring the abnormal cellular conditions induced by 6-OHDA in neuronal cells highlighting it as a potential promising therapy for treating neurodegenerative diseases. •Neurodegeneration is a progressive loss of neuronal function in certain parts of brain and spinal cord.•This work highlights the use of spathulenol in restoring abnormal cellular conditions caused by 6-OHDA.•This is the first work to exploit the use of spathulenol as a compound against neurodegenerative diseases.