Skip to content
Research Article Open access CC BY 4.0

Human tau E14 Mutation Induced Neurodegeneration in Drosophila melanogaster is Ameliorated by Developmental Supplement of Ashwagandha Root Extract

Mamatha Nagamadhu Murthy, Baragur Venkatanarayanasetty Shyamala

Journal of Complementary and Alternative Medical Research · pp. 38–47 · Published 24 Jun 2023

10.9734/jocamr/2023/v22i3461

Abstract

Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal (WS) known as Ashwagandha, has been used for centuries in Ayurvedic medicine to promote longevity and vitality. The use of herbal plant extract in treating several diseases has been documented from the very beginning in Ayurveda. The ethnopharmacological properties of this ‘‘Indian Ginseng’’ plant include adaptogenic, hypnotic, sedative, and diuretic. The root extract of WS has shown the properties of neuronal regeneration by stimulating axon and dendrite outgrowth in neurons in culture. Hence, in the recent decade Ashwagandha has been widely studied for its neuroprotective properties in many rodent models and cell lines. Here, we have used transgenic Drosophila model carrying human tauE14. The mutant protein codes for pseudophosphorylated Tau protein which is specifically expressed in photoreceptor neurons using GMR-Gal4 driver to induce photoreceptor neuronal degeneration. We treated these tauopathy mimicking flies with different concentrations of Ashwagandha to evaluate the neuroprotective/remedial effect of Ashwagandha at different stages of fly development. Our results demonstrated that Ashwagandha can rescue the neurodegeneration phenotype in Drosophila TauE14 disease model only when administered during development.

Drosophila disease model Tauopathy Ashwagandha/Withania somnifera htauE14 Photoreceptor degeneration neurodegeneration developmental deformity

References (28)

  1. 1 Targeted gene expression as a means of altering cell fates and generating dominant phenotypes [DOI]
  2. 2 A protein factor essential for microtubule assembly. [DOI]
  3. 3 The distribution of tau in the mammalian central nervous system. [DOI]
  4. 4 Reiterative Use of the EGF Receptor Triggers Differentiation of All Cell Types in the Drosophila Eye [DOI]
  5. 5 Scientific basis for the therapeutic use of Withania somnifera (ashwagandha): a review.
  6. 6 Current Topics in DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY [DOI]
  7. 7 Abnormal bundling and accumulation of F-actin mediates tau-induced neuronal degeneration in vivo [DOI]
  8. 8 Versatile P[acman] BAC libraries for transgenesis studies in Drosophila melanogaster [DOI]
  9. 9 Neuritic regeneration and synaptic reconstruction induced by withanolide A [DOI]
  10. 10 Tauopathies: new perspectives and challenges [DOI]
  11. 11 Anxiolytic-antidepressant activity of Withania somnifera glycowithanolides: an experimental study [DOI]
  12. 12 Mechanisms of secretion and spreading of pathological tau protein [DOI]
  13. 13 Tau domains, phosphorylation, and interactions with microtubules [DOI]
  14. 14 Tau Is Enriched on Dynamic Microtubules in the Distal Region of Growing Axons [DOI]
  15. 15 TOR-Mediated Cell-Cycle Activation Causes Neurodegeneration in a Drosophila Tauopathy Model [DOI]
  16. 16 Tubulin requires tau for growth onto microtubule initiating sites. [DOI]
  17. 17 ReMAPping the microtubule landscape: How phosphorylation dictates the activities of microtubule‐associated proteins [DOI]
  18. 18 A comparative pharmacological investigation of Ashwagandha and Ginseng [DOI]
  19. 19 Identification and characterization of the Drosophila tau homolog [DOI]
  20. 20 Differential Effects of Tau on the Integrity and Function of Neurons Essential for Learning in Drosophila [DOI]
  21. 21 S/P and T/P phosphorylation is critical for tau neurotoxicity in Drosophila [DOI]
  22. 22 Dendrite extension by methanol extract of Ashwagandha (roots of Withania somnifera) in SK-N-SH cells [DOI]
  23. 23 Production of withanolide-A from adventitious root cultures of Withania somnifera [DOI]
  24. 24 Developmental Expression of 4-Repeat-Tau Induces Neuronal Aneuploidy in Drosophila Tauopathy Models [DOI]
  25. 25 Important neuronal toxicity of microtubule-bound Tau in vivo in Drosophila [DOI]
  26. 26 Beta-sheet assembly of Tau and neurodegeneration in Drosophila melanogaster [DOI]
  27. 27 Chronic restraint stress alters the expression and distribution of phosphorylated tau and MAP2 in cortex and hippocampus of rat brain [DOI]
  28. 28 Phosphorylation of alpha-tubulin carboxyl-terminal tyrosine prevents its incorporation into microtubules. [DOI]

Cited by 2

Plant-derived neuroprotective compounds and nanoformulations targeting Parkinson’s disease: a semi-systematic review of mechanisms and therapeutic potential

Saraswathi Saraswathi, J. T. Venkataravanappa, C. Nambiar · Metabolic brain disease · 2026

Showing 1 of 2 known citations — external sources report more than can currently be individually listed.

Related research

Article metrics

Real usage data collected on this platform.

0

Page views

0

PDF downloads

0

Outbound clicks

2

Citations

Views by country

Approximate, from request IP at view time — not citizenship or institution. Countries with fewer than 5 views are grouped as "Other".

No views recorded yet.

Traffic sources

Referring site, by host.

No traffic recorded yet.

Views and downloads exclude known bots/crawlers. Citations combines this platform's own DOI-resolved index with each external source's own reported total — see Cited by above for individually listed citing works. Last refreshed 0 seconds ago.