People suffering from Parkinson’s disease and their families face a wide array of hardships and challenges. A recent study conducted by Neha Sharma (M. Pharm.) Assistant Professor and Dr. Navneet Khurana (M.Pharm., Ph.D.), Professor, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Lovely Professional University may open new doors to the treatment and eventual cure of this neurodegenerative disease. According to their findings, a cake or a pastry may do wonders for patients with Parkinson’s!
The duo along with other collaborators from other institutes tested the impact of vanillic acid or vanilla, a phytoconstituent, and a common flavoring agent on Parkinson’s disease using rat models.
“In the present study, we have tested the effect of vanillic acid for its possible effect on Parkinson’s disease using rats. We first induced Parkinson’s disease in rats using rotenone which is a pesticide known to induce this disease in rodents. After the successful development of this disease condition symptom in rats, the beneficial effect of vanillic acid was evaluated. We found that the acid successfully reversed the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease in rats,” the researchers stated.
The duo also revealed that the outcome was supported by the results of histopathological and biochemical studies in rats. It suggested the possible beneficial effect of vanillic acid on Parkinson’s disease. According to the researchers, it took them three years to complete the research work.
“Parkinson’s disease is a muscle-related neurodegenerative disorder and there is a need for a promising and effective treatment for this devastating disease. The preclinical studies can be done to find out the molecular basis of its effect and after performing toxicity and safety studies on the vanillic acid, clinical trials can also be initiated after taking due approval from concerned authorities,” Neha Sharma (M. Pharm.) Assistant Professor and co-author of the study told Financial Express.com.
Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disease and there is no cure for it yet. As the disease progresses, patients find it difficult to even talk and take food due to its devastating effect on the central nervous system. The available therapies are only effective in managing the long-term effects of this disease and patients’ quality of life.
“The current therapy for this devastating disease is managing only the symptoms and that is too for a short period of time. The benefits from the currently available drugs are quite limited at the later stages of this disease. As there is no safe and effective cure available, there is a real need for the development of effective therapeutic strategies which can deal with the underlying cause of this disease,” Sharma told Financial Express.com.
According to the researchers, vanillic acid can be converted into a pharmaceutical formulation that may help patients with Parkinson’s disease. They believe that even daily consumption of this agent in the form of confectionery items may also benefit Parkinson’s disease patients.
“The compound tested in this study is of natural origin and showed good efficacy against Parkinson’s disease in an animal model. This research is quite useful in putting the light on this path of development of safe and effective therapeutic treatment for this disease,” Sharma told Financial Express.com.
The study also revealed that there is a reduction in oxidative stress level parameters. As of now, no patents have been received yet for this study. The study also proved that co-treatment of Vanillic acid and levodopa-carbidopa significantly protected the brain from neuronal damage due to oxidative stress and attenuated the motor defects indicating the possible therapeutic potential of VA as a neuroprotective in Parkinson’s disease.
“Ongoing Parkinson’s disease therapeutic interventions provide mainly symptomatic relief and have detrimental impacts on the patient’s routine life since they are used for a longer duration. Thus, our study gave hope to the Parkinson’s patients who may be able to use vanillic acid as a treatment with no or minimal side effects on their quality of life as this phytoconstituent has been reported to be ingested in daily life in different forms,” Sharma said.