Objective: To test the neuroprotective capacity of Yerba Mate (YM) in an in vivo model of Parkinson’s disease.

Background: Parkinson’s disease (PD) is caused by the progressive degeneration of dopaminergic neurons (nDA) from the Substantia Nigra pars compacta which are particularly susceptible to degenerate by causes still unknown. Stimulants, like nicotine and caffeine have been pointed as neuroprotective agents for dopaminergic neurons and their consumption is inversely associated with the development of PD. Similar results have been shown with the intake of YM in the Argentinean population (Gatto et al 2015) and its neuroprotective role in dopaminergic neurons in vitro (Bernardi et al 2019). YM is a popular beverage in some South American countries and it has been reported to have stimulant effect over the central nervous system. Given these previous results, we hypothesized that the YM extract could also protect nDA in vivo from the degeneration caused by the expression of alpha synuclein (a-Syn) in a Drosophila melanogaster model of PD, and improve the related locomotor deficit.

Method: We used wild type and transgenic fly lines that express both, wild-type (WT) and mutated (A30P and A53T) human a-Syn. We tested different doses of an extract of YM in the food of flies. At the same time, we verified and quantified by spectrophotometry the consumption of YM. Then we tested the survival and locomotor activity of the flies that express a-Syn in its either WT or mutants form in a YM consumption paradigm.

Results: We found a maximum dose of YM extract (3,55 mg/ml of food) that is not lethal for a wild type line of flies (Canton-S). Transgenic flies that express a-Syn WT and the mutant-form a-Syn A30P at the pan-neuronal level have a significantly lower activity index respect to the control at 30 days of age in the locomotor assay. Our results show that treatment with YM extract improves the locomotor activity of these flies.

Conclusion: We set up the dose of YM to use in the food that is not lethal for a wild type line of flies (Canton-S). Also we verified and quantified the consumption of YM by the flies. We found that although YM does not affect the survival of both WT and transgenic flies, it improves their performance in the locomotor assays.

References: Gatto EM, Melcon C, Parisi VL, Bartoloni L, Gonzalez CD. Inverse association between yerba mate consumption and idiopathic Parkinson’s disease. A case-control study. J Neurol Sci. 2015 Sep 15;356(1-2):163-7. Bernardi MA, Pedro Ballestero, Marcela Schenk, Mariana Ferrario, Gimena Gómez, Roy Rivero, Elena Avale, Irene Taravini, Oscar Gershanik, Sandra Guerrero, Juan Ferrario. Yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis) favors survival and growth of dopaminergic neurons in culture. Movement Disorders “in press”.

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MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/neuroprotective-effect-of-yerba-mate-ilex-paraguariensis-in-a-drosophila-model-of-parkinson-s-disease/