High Rosmarinic Acid Content <i>Melissa officinalis</i> L. Phytocomplex Modulates Microglia Neuroinflammation Induced by High Glucose

Diabetic patients experience hyperglycemia, which can affect multiple organs, including brain function, leading to disabling neurological complications. Hyperglycemia plays a key role in promoting neuroinflammation, the most common complication in diabetic individuals, through the activation of micr...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Giacomina Videtta, Chiara Sasia, Nicoletta Galeotti
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-01-01
Series:Antioxidants
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3921/14/2/161
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850082560346947584
author Giacomina Videtta
Chiara Sasia
Nicoletta Galeotti
author_facet Giacomina Videtta
Chiara Sasia
Nicoletta Galeotti
author_sort Giacomina Videtta
collection DOAJ
description Diabetic patients experience hyperglycemia, which can affect multiple organs, including brain function, leading to disabling neurological complications. Hyperglycemia plays a key role in promoting neuroinflammation, the most common complication in diabetic individuals, through the activation of microglia. Attenuating hyperglycemia-related neuroinflammation in microglia may reduce diabetes-associated neurological comorbidities. Natural remedies containing phenolic compounds have shown efficacy in mitigating microglia-mediated neuroinflammation. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential of a <i>Melissa officinalis</i> L. (MO) phytocomplex, obtained from plant cell cultures and enriched in its main polyphenolic constituent, rosmarinic acid (RA), in attenuating hyperglycemia-induced neuroinflammation in microglia. A time-course morphological analysis of BV2 microglial cells exposed to high glucose (HG) levels showed a shift towards a proinflammatory phenotype, peaking after 48 h, which was reversed by pretreatment with MO. Biochemical assays revealed increased expression of the microglial marker CD11b (187%), activation of the NF-κB pathway (179%), expression of iNOS (225%), enhanced phosphorylation of ERK1/2 (180%), and increased expression of the proinflammatory cytokine IL-6 (173%). Pretreatment with MO prevented the aberrant expression of these proinflammatory mediators and restored SIRT1 levels. Exposure of neuronal SH-SY5Y cells to the conditioned medium from HG-exposed microglia significantly reduced cell viability. MO counteracted this effect, exhibiting neuroprotective activity. RA showed efficacy comparable to that of MO. In conclusion, MO and RA attenuated microglia-mediated oxidative imbalance and neuroinflammation under HG exposure by inhibiting the morphological shift toward a proinflammatory phenotype induced by HG and abrogating the subsequent activation of the downstream ERK1/2–NF-κB–iNOS pathway.
format Article
id doaj-art-66cd983ca25645a996ff284a31eb8e36
institution DOAJ
issn 2076-3921
language English
publishDate 2025-01-01
publisher MDPI AG
record_format Article
series Antioxidants
spelling doaj-art-66cd983ca25645a996ff284a31eb8e362025-08-20T02:44:29ZengMDPI AGAntioxidants2076-39212025-01-0114216110.3390/antiox14020161High Rosmarinic Acid Content <i>Melissa officinalis</i> L. Phytocomplex Modulates Microglia Neuroinflammation Induced by High GlucoseGiacomina Videtta0Chiara Sasia1Nicoletta Galeotti2Department of Neurosciences, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health (Neurofarba), Section of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Florence, Viale G. Pieraccini 6, 50139 Florence, ItalyDepartment of Neurosciences, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health (Neurofarba), Section of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Florence, Viale G. Pieraccini 6, 50139 Florence, ItalyDepartment of Neurosciences, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health (Neurofarba), Section of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Florence, Viale G. Pieraccini 6, 50139 Florence, ItalyDiabetic patients experience hyperglycemia, which can affect multiple organs, including brain function, leading to disabling neurological complications. Hyperglycemia plays a key role in promoting neuroinflammation, the most common complication in diabetic individuals, through the activation of microglia. Attenuating hyperglycemia-related neuroinflammation in microglia may reduce diabetes-associated neurological comorbidities. Natural remedies containing phenolic compounds have shown efficacy in mitigating microglia-mediated neuroinflammation. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential of a <i>Melissa officinalis</i> L. (MO) phytocomplex, obtained from plant cell cultures and enriched in its main polyphenolic constituent, rosmarinic acid (RA), in attenuating hyperglycemia-induced neuroinflammation in microglia. A time-course morphological analysis of BV2 microglial cells exposed to high glucose (HG) levels showed a shift towards a proinflammatory phenotype, peaking after 48 h, which was reversed by pretreatment with MO. Biochemical assays revealed increased expression of the microglial marker CD11b (187%), activation of the NF-κB pathway (179%), expression of iNOS (225%), enhanced phosphorylation of ERK1/2 (180%), and increased expression of the proinflammatory cytokine IL-6 (173%). Pretreatment with MO prevented the aberrant expression of these proinflammatory mediators and restored SIRT1 levels. Exposure of neuronal SH-SY5Y cells to the conditioned medium from HG-exposed microglia significantly reduced cell viability. MO counteracted this effect, exhibiting neuroprotective activity. RA showed efficacy comparable to that of MO. In conclusion, MO and RA attenuated microglia-mediated oxidative imbalance and neuroinflammation under HG exposure by inhibiting the morphological shift toward a proinflammatory phenotype induced by HG and abrogating the subsequent activation of the downstream ERK1/2–NF-κB–iNOS pathway.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3921/14/2/161neuroinflammationmicrogliadiabetes<i>Melissa officinalis</i> L.rosmarinic acid
spellingShingle Giacomina Videtta
Chiara Sasia
Nicoletta Galeotti
High Rosmarinic Acid Content <i>Melissa officinalis</i> L. Phytocomplex Modulates Microglia Neuroinflammation Induced by High Glucose
Antioxidants
neuroinflammation
microglia
diabetes
<i>Melissa officinalis</i> L.
rosmarinic acid
title High Rosmarinic Acid Content <i>Melissa officinalis</i> L. Phytocomplex Modulates Microglia Neuroinflammation Induced by High Glucose
title_full High Rosmarinic Acid Content <i>Melissa officinalis</i> L. Phytocomplex Modulates Microglia Neuroinflammation Induced by High Glucose
title_fullStr High Rosmarinic Acid Content <i>Melissa officinalis</i> L. Phytocomplex Modulates Microglia Neuroinflammation Induced by High Glucose
title_full_unstemmed High Rosmarinic Acid Content <i>Melissa officinalis</i> L. Phytocomplex Modulates Microglia Neuroinflammation Induced by High Glucose
title_short High Rosmarinic Acid Content <i>Melissa officinalis</i> L. Phytocomplex Modulates Microglia Neuroinflammation Induced by High Glucose
title_sort high rosmarinic acid content i melissa officinalis i l phytocomplex modulates microglia neuroinflammation induced by high glucose
topic neuroinflammation
microglia
diabetes
<i>Melissa officinalis</i> L.
rosmarinic acid
url https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3921/14/2/161
work_keys_str_mv AT giacominavidetta highrosmarinicacidcontentimelissaofficinalisilphytocomplexmodulatesmicroglianeuroinflammationinducedbyhighglucose
AT chiarasasia highrosmarinicacidcontentimelissaofficinalisilphytocomplexmodulatesmicroglianeuroinflammationinducedbyhighglucose
AT nicolettagaleotti highrosmarinicacidcontentimelissaofficinalisilphytocomplexmodulatesmicroglianeuroinflammationinducedbyhighglucose