Chicoric Acid from Health Foods Improves Motor Dysfunction in Zebrafish Parkinson’s Disease Model

Chicoric acid (CA) has been used as a nutritional supplement, health food, and medicine because of its antioxidant property. This study aimed to investigate whether CA can improve motor dysfunction in a zebrafish model of Parkinson’s disease (PD). AB-strain zebrafish larvae (24 hours post-fertilization) were incubated with 25 μM 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) with or without CA for 5 days. The levels of malondialdehyde, glutathione, and reactive oxygen species were measured, as were the activities of antioxidant enzymes in brain tissue. Additionally, the expression of molecules from the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) signaling pathway were assayed by western blot. Compared with the control group, zebrafish in the MPTP group had impaired motor function. Treatment with CA improved motor dysfunction and attenuated dopaminergic neuronal injury in the PD zebrafish model. CA treatment also reduced the levels of malondialdehyde and reactive oxygen species and increased the antioxidant enzymes and glutathione level. Furthermore, CA augmented the expression of Nrf2, heme oxygenase, quinone oxidoreductase 1, and glutamate-cysteine ligase in the brain of the PD zebrafish model. CA from health foods also improved motor dysfunction and attenuated dopaminergic neuronal injury in the MPTP-induced PD zebrafish model. Our findings suggest that the mechanism of action of CA is related to its inhibition of oxidative stress via regulation of the Nrf2 pathway.