Essential Oils May Leadα-Synuclein towards Toxic Fibrils Formation

Abstract

α-Synuclein (α-Syn) fibrillation links with Parkinson’s disease (PD) and several related syndromes. It is believed that exposure to the factors which promote fibrillation may induce and progress such neurodegenerative diseases (NDs). Herein, the effects of some wildly used essential oils includingMyrtus communis(M. communis) onα-Syn fibrillation were examined.M. communisparticularly increasedα-Syn fibrillation in a concentration dependent manner. Given that applications ofM. communisare very extensive in Asian societies, especially Zoroastrians, this study was extended towards its role onα-Syn fibrillation/cytotoxicity. By using a unilamellar vesicle, it was shown that the aggregated species with tendency to perturb membrane were increased in the presence ofM. communis. In this regard, the cytotoxicity ofα-Syn on SH-SH5Y cells was also increased significantly. Inappropriately, the effects of fibrillation inhibitors, baicalein and cuminaldehyde, were modulated in the presence ofM. communis. However, major components ofM. communisdid not induce fibrillation and also the effect ofM. communiswas limited on other fibrinogenic proteins. Assuming that essential oils have the ability to pass through the blood brain barrier (BBB) along with the popular attention on aromatherapy for the incurable ND, these findings suggest an implementation of fibrillation tests for essential oils.