Harris A Weisz
Tanzania
Research Article
Neuroprotective Effects of Aframomum melegueta Extract after Experimental Traumatic Brain Injury
Author(s): Aswathi Kumar, Deborah Kennedy- Boone, Harris A Weisz, Bridget A Capra, Tatsuo Uchida, Kristofer Jennings, Maria-Adelaide Micci, Margaret Parsley, Douglas S DeWitt, Donald S. Prough and Helen L HellmichAswathi Kumar, Deborah Kennedy- Boone, Harris A Weisz, Bridget A Capra, Tatsuo Uchida, Kristofer Jennings, Maria-Adelaide Micci, Margaret Parsley, Douglas S DeWitt, Donald S. Prough and Helen L Hellmich
Aframomum melegueta is an herb in the ginger family that has been shown to have anti-inflammatory, antioxidative, anti-diabetic and antimicrobial properties. We investigated the possibility that the seeds of this herb, which are consumed by gorillas and used as a spice in West and North African cuisine, could have neuroprotective effects in a rat model of traumatic brain injury (TBI). Using Fluoro-Jade, an anionic fluorescent stain that is a well-established marker of degenerating neurons, we found that an extract of Aframomum, PMI-006, significantly reduced numbers of dying, Fluoro-Jade-positive neurons in the rat hippocampus 24 hr after TBI. We used an antibody to CD11b (Ox42), a microglial marker, to show that PMI almost completely reduced microglial activation-a hallmark of injury-induced inflamma.. View More»
