Neurogenic Impact of Quercetin and Rosmarinic Acid on Neuroblastoma Cells

Abstract

Neurogenesis, the process of generating new neurons, plays a critical role in brain development, learning, memory, and overall brain health. Natural compounds with neurodegenerative properties have gained significant attention in recent years as potential therapeutic agents for promoting neurogenesis. This study investigates the effects of rosmarinic acid and quercetin, two natural compounds with known neuroprotective and antioxidant properties, on neurogenesis. Using SH-SY5Y cells, a human neuroblastoma cell line commonly employed as a model for neurogenesis research. In our present study, we used a combination of herbal compounds Rosmarinic acid (RA) and quercetin (Q) to see the combined effect on the in vitro system. We treated SH- SY5Y cells with 10 µM concentration of each compound (Q+RA) and found the upregulation of neuronal marks viz, NFM (1.534 ± 0.03049;**p<0.01), Nestin (1.390 ± 0.2031;*p<0.05) and β-III tubulin (1.459 ± 0.04676***p<0.001) at the protein level. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) study on neuroblstoma cells also shows the anti-oxidative nature of Q and RA. The combined therapy also displays low Malondialdehyde (MDA) and Nitric oxide (NO) production in co-exposed cell, which strongly supports the neurogenic nature of Q+RA in comparison to control cells. Therefore, we can state that our results support the therapeutic efficacy of combined herbal therapy for neurogenic impact. Our findings demonstrate that the combination of rosmarinic acid and quercetin synergistically enhances neurogenesis in SH-SY5Y cells.