Biology subjects

Soumyanath, A.

Publications and source records attributed to Soumyanath, A..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2025

Centella asiatica improves sleep quality and quantity in aged mice

Age-related sleep disruption is common in older adults. Not only does the total amount of time spent in sleep decline, but the number of arousals during sleep increases with age. As sleep is important for both memory consolidation and to prevent neurodegenerative pathology, this decline in sleep and/or sleep consolidation may underlie age-related cognitive decline and dementias. Furthermore, treatment of sleep disruption can improve quality of life. However, few interventions have successfully reversed age-related sleep decline. Extracts from the plant Centella asiatica have demonstrated neuroprotective effects in human, rodent, and fly models of aging and neurodegenerative diseases, and is a promising intervention for dementias, yet little is known about how these extracts affect sleep patterns. Here, we administered Centella asiatica water extract (CAW) dosed or control chow to male and female C57BL6/J mice aged 18 months. Effects on sleep composition were determined using electrodes that recorded EEG and EMG signals. We found that CAW dosed chow (1000 mg/kg/day) increased REM sleep time in aged male mice and decreased the number of arousals during sleep observed in aged females, compared to age- and sex-matched controls. We conclude that CAW administered in food has a moderate, sex-dependent effect on sleep quantity and quality. Statement of SignificanceSleep declines with age and may underline age-related cognitive changes. However, few interventions have successfully reversed age-related sleep and cognitive decline. This study found that botanical extract from the plant Centella asiatica increased total REM sleep time in aged male mice, and decreased sleep fragmentation in aged female mice, compared to age- and sex-matched controls. Whether these moderate, sex-dependent effect sizes on sleep in aged mice are impactful enough to affect cognition, quality of life, and/or neurodegenerative pathology could be explored in future studies.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2024

Multi-omics analysis in mouse primary cortical neurons reveals complex positive and negative biological interactions between constituent compounds in Centella asiatica

BackgroundA water extract of the Ayurvedic plant Centella asiatica (CAW) improves cognitive function in mouse models of aging and Alzheimers disease, and affects dendritic arborization, mitochondrial activity and oxidative stress in mouse primary neurons. Triterpenes (TT) and caffeoylquinic acids (CQA) are constituents associated with these bioactivities of CAW although little is known about how interactions between these compounds contribute to the plants therapeutic benefit. MethodsMouse primary cortical neurons were treated with CAW, or equivalent concentrations of four TT combined, eight CQA combined, or these twelve compounds combined (TTCQA). Treatment effects on the cell transcriptome (18,491 genes) and metabolome (192 metabolites) relative to vehicle control were evaluated using RNAseq and metabolomic analyses respectively. ResultsExtensive differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were seen with all treatments, as well as evidence of interactions between compounds. Notably many DEGs seen with TT treatment were not observed in the TTCQA condition, possibly suggesting CQA reduced the effects of TT. Moreover, additional gene activity seen with CAW as compared to TTCQA indicate the presence of additional compounds in CAW that further modulate TTCQA interactions. Weighted Gene Correlation Network Analysis (WGCNA) identified 4 gene co-expression modules altered by treatments that were associated with extracellular matrix organization, fatty acid metabolism, cellular response to stress and stimuli, and immune function. Compound interaction patterns were seen at the eigengene level in these modules. Interestingly, in metabolomics analysis, the TTCQA treatment saw the highest number of changes in individual metabolites (20), followed by CQA (15), then TT (8) and finally CAW (3). WGCNA analysis found two metabolomics modules with significant eigenmetabolite differences for TT and CQA, and possible compound interactions at this level. ConclusionsFour gene expression modules and two metabolite modules were altered by the four types of treatments applied. This methodology demonstrated the existence of both negative and positive interactions between TT, CQA and additional compounds found in CAW on the transcriptome and metabolome of mouse primary cortical neurons.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2024

Amelioration of age-related cognitive decline and anxiety in mice by Centella asiatica extract varies by sex, dose and mode of administration.

We have previously reported that a water extract (CAW) of the Ayurvedic plant Centella asiatica administered in drinking water can improve cognitive deficits in mouse models of aging and neurodegenerative diseases. Here we compared the effects of CAW administered in drinking water or the diet on cognition, measures of anxiety and depression-like behavior in healthy aged mice. Three- and eighteen-month-old male and female C57BL6 mice were administered rodent AIN-93M diet containing CAW (0, 0.2, 0.5 or 1% w/w) to provide 0, 200 mg/kg/d, 500 mg/kg/d or 1000 mg/kg/d for a total of 5 weeks. An additional group of eighteen-month-old mice were treated with CAW (10 mg/mL) in their drinking water for a total of five weeks to deliver the same exposure of CAW as the highest dietary dose (1000 mg/kg/d). CAW doses delivered were calculated based on food and water consumption measured in previous experiments. In the fourth and fifth weeks, mice underwent behavioral testing of cognition, anxiety and depression (n=12 of each sex per treatment group in each test). Aged mice of both sexes showed cognitive deficits relative to young mice while only female aged mice showed increased anxiety compared to the young female mice and no differences in depression were observed between the different ages. CAW (1000 mg/kg/d) in the drinking water improved deficits in aged mice in learning, executive function and recognition memory in both sexes and attenuated the increased measures of anxiety observed in the aged female mice. However, CAW in the diet only improved executive function in aged mice at the highest dose (1000 mg/kg/d) in both sexes and did so less robustly than when given in the water. There were no effects of CAW on depression-like behavior in aged animals regardless of whether it was administered in the diet or the water. These results suggest that CAW can ameliorate age-related changes in measures of anxiety and cognition and that the mode of administration is important for the effects of CAW on resilience to these age-related changes.

animal behavior and cognition↗