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bioRxiv · 10.1101/2020.12.23.424246

Red-beet betalain pigments inhibit amyloid-beta aggregation and prevent the progression of Alzheimer's disease in a Caenorhabditis elegans model

Imamura, T.·Koga, H.·Higashimura, Y.·Matsumoto, K.·Mori, M.
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Abstract

BACKGROUNDBetalain pigments are mainly produced by plants in the order Caryophyllales. Recent interest in the biological functions of betalain pigments has increased with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer activities reported. RESULTSWe investigated the effects of betalain pigments derived from red-beet on amyloid-{beta} (A{beta}) aggregation, a cause of Alzheimers disease. Inhibition of A{beta} aggregation against A{beta}40 and A{beta}42 by betalain pigments in vitro was demonstrated by the Thioflavin T fluorescence assay, circular dichroism spectroscopy analysis and transmission electron microscopic observations. Moreover, we examined the ability of betalain pigments to interfere with A{beta} toxicity by using the transgenic Caenorhabditis elegans strain CL2006, which expresses the human A{beta}42 protein intracellularly within the body wall muscle and responds to A{beta}-toxicity with paralysis. Treatment with 50 M betalain pigments significantly delayed the paralysis of Caenorhabditis elegans. CONCLUSIONThese results suggest that betalain pigments reduce A{beta}-induced toxicity by inhibiting A{beta} aggregation and may lead to their use as inhibitors of A{beta} aggregation.

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Imamura, T., Koga, H., Higashimura, Y., Matsumoto, K., Mori, M.. 2020-12-24. Red-beet betalain pigments inhibit amyloid-beta aggregation and prevent the progression of Alzheimer's disease in a Caenorhabditis elegans model. https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.12.23.424246

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