Eugenol protects neuronal cells from excitotoxic and oxidative injury in primary cortical cultures

We examined the neuroprotective efficacy of eugenol against N-methyl- d-aspartate (NMDA)-, oxygen-glucose deprivation-, and xanthine/xanthine oxidase-induced neurotoxicity in primary murine cortical cultures. Eugenol (100–300 μM) attenuated NMDA (300 μM)-induced acute neurotoxicity by 20–60%. At the same concentration range, eugenol also inhibited NMDA (300 μM)-induced elevation in neuronal 45Ca 2+ uptake by 10–30%. In the oxygen-glucose deprivation (50 min) neurotoxicity, eugenol (100–300 μM) prevented acute neuronal swelling and reduced neuronal death by 45–60% in a concentration-dependent fashion. Oxidative neuronal injury induced by xanthine/xanthine oxidase was also significantly reduced (75–90%) by eugenol (100–300 μM) addition. These results suggest that eugenol may play a protective role against ischemic injury by modulating both NMDA receptor and superoxide radical.