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Effect of Solanum vegetables on memory index, redox status, and expressions of critical neural genes in Drosophila melanogaster model of memory impairment

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Abstract

African eggplant (Solanum macrocarpon L) (AE) and Black Nightshade (Solanum nigrum L) (BN) leaves are green leafy vegetables with nutritional and ethnobotanical values. We have previously characterized the vegetables via HPLC/LC-MS to reveal notable phenolic acids, flavonoids and alkaloids. In this present study, we addressed the efficacy of the two vegetables in mitigating mercuric chloride (HgCl2)-induced neurotoxicity and memory impairment in Drosophila melanogaster. Flies were exposed to HgCl2 (0.30 mg/g) alone or in combination with the vegetables (0.1 and 1.0%) of both samples in their diets for seven days. The results showed that HgCl2 (Hg)-exposed flies had significantly reduced survival rate and memory index, which were ameliorated in the Hg-exposed flies fed AE or BN. This was accompanied by increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, reduced total thiol, as well as catalase, glutathione transferase (GST) and acetylcholine esterase (AChE) activities in Hg-exposed fly heads, but ameliorated in Hg-exposed flies fed dietary inclusions of the vegetables. In addition, the Hg-induced alterations in SOD, NF-ҝB/Relish, Dronc and Reaper mRNA levels were statistically indistinguishable from controls in Hg-treated flies fed diets containing AE or BN. Normalization of cnc/Nrf2 and FOXO were observed only in Hg-treated flies fed BN. These findings suggest that dietary AE or BN leaves offer protection against Hg-induced memory impairment and neurotoxicity in D. melanogaster, and further justify them as functional foods with neuroprotective properties.

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Data availability

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, upon reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

Ogunsuyi B. Opeyemi is a recipient of the 2018 CNPq-TWAS Sandwich Postgraduate Fellowship (FR number: 314765/2018-2). Olawande C. Olagoke is a recipient of the 2017 CNPq-TWAS Postgraduate Fellowship (FR number: 3240299312). The financial support of CAPES, FAPERGS (DocFix) and CNPq is also acknowledged.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Programa de Pos-graduacao em Bioquimica Toxicologica, Departamento de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular, Centro de Ciências Naturais e Exatas (CCNE), Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, 97105-900, Brazil

    Opeyemi B. Ogunsuyi, Olawande C. Olagoke, Julia S. Loreto, Nilda V. Barbosa & João B. T. da Rocha

  2. Department of Biochemistry, Federal University of Technology, P.M.B. 704, Akure, Nigeria

    Opeyemi B. Ogunsuyi, Adedayo O. Ademiluyi & Ganiyu Oboh

  3. Department of Biomedical Technology, Federal University of Technology, P.M.B. 704, Akure, Nigeria

    Opeyemi B. Ogunsuyi

  4. Department of Biochemistry, Bowen University Iwo, Iwo, Osun State, Nigeria

    Blessing A. Afolabi

  5. Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA

    Michael Aschner

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  1. Opeyemi B. Ogunsuyi
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Contributions

OBO was involved in conceptualizing the research and carried out the data collection and analysis as well as manuscript drafting. OCO was involved in collection, analysis and interpretation of data regarding the RT-qPCR analysis. BAA was involved in collection of data regarding the RT-qPCR analysis. JSL was involved in collection of data regarding the assessment of fly memory function. AOA was involved in data analysis and research supervision. MA was involved in data analysis and interpretation, as well as correction and approval of final draft of manuscript. GO was involved in research conceptualization and supervision. NVB was involved in fly culture and data collection. JBTR was involved in research conceptualization and supervision, data interpretation, as well as writing, correction and approval of final draft of manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Ogunsuyi, O.B., Olagoke, O.C., Afolabi, B.A. et al. Effect of Solanum vegetables on memory index, redox status, and expressions of critical neural genes in Drosophila melanogaster model of memory impairment. Metab Brain Dis 37, 729–741 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11011-021-00871-9

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