Neuroprotective and anxiolytic potential of green rooibos (<i>Aspalathus linearis</i>) polyphenolic extract

López, Víctor; Cásedas, Guillermo; Petersen-Ross, Kelly Shirley; Powrie, Yigael S. L.; Smith, Carine

doi:10.1039/d1fo03178c

Cited by 14 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 69 publications

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“…However, the limited scope of these studies may be a limitation of neuronal cell models, as in vivo studies in rodents reported a larger variety of beneficial functional outcomes for rooibos, such as improved long-term spatial memory that was associated with increased striatal dopamine and 3-methoxytyramine (dopamine metabolite) levels, but not excessive motor activity (Pyrzanowska et al, 2019), as well as reduced anxiety and increased exploratory behaviour (Pyrzanowska et al, 2021). These findings have also been corroborated in zebrafish larvae (Lopez et al, 2022), in which a significant GABA agonist effect of rooibos was elucidated.…”

Section: Neglected Regulatory Systemsmentioning

confidence: 80%

“…Rooibos is widely known and consumed for its antioxidant activity. The antioxidant mechanism of rooibos seems multi-pronged: firstly, it has demonstrated ability to scavenge free radicals in a manner similar to vitamin C and E ( Snijman et al, 2009 ; Lopez et al, 2022 ), a mechanism ascribed to mainly two active ingredients–aspalathin and nothofagin ( Bramati et al, 2003 ; Joubert et al, 2005 ; Chen et al, 2013 ; Canda et al, 2014 ). In fact, rooibos has such high potency that pro-oxidant outcome have been reported for extracted (i.e., concentrated) rooibos when administered in the absence of disease or conditions of oxidative stress ( Joubert et al, 2005 ).…”

Section: Rooibos: Doomed To Fail or On The Road To Success?mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although rooibos is anecdotally acclaimed for its calming effect few studies have investigated the effect of rooibos on the brain and nervous system and associated behavioural outcomes. Somewhat disappointingly, most in vitro studies in this context–albeit with positive results–seem largely focused on antioxidant effects ( Hong et al, 2014 ; Fisher et al, 2020 ; Ma et al, 2020 ; Lopez et al, 2022 ; Brasil et al, 2023 ). Only two of these expanded their investigation and also reported different modulatory mechanisms in the context of serotonin metabolism ( Hong et al, 2014 ; Lopez et al, 2022 ), which provides some additional mechanistic support for an anxiolytic or calming effect.…”

Section: Rooibos: Doomed To Fail or On The Road To Success?mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Collectively, available literature shows neuroprotective potential mediated by an increase in antioxidant enzyme activity ( Akinrinmade et al, 2017 ) and/or modulation of neurotransmission ( Lopez et al, 2022 ), which translates to improved behavioural outcome ( Pyrzanowska et al, 2019 ; Pyrzanowska et al, 2021 ; Lopez et al, 2022 ). However, in this context, literature is still relatively sparse.…”

Section: Rooibos: Doomed To Fail or On The Road To Success?mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Translation of preclinical ethnomedicine data in LMICs: the example of rooibos

Pretorius,

Smith

2023

Front. Pharmacol.

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All disease, but especially non-communicable diseases, are related to dysfunction of one or more regulatory systems. In developing countries, long-term management of patients with chronic diseases has many challenges and is generally not financially viable, but Africa in particular, which is rich in diverse ethnomedicines presents a more feasible long-term therapeutic approach in this niche. However, despite comprehensive preclinical investigations on numerous plant-derived candidate medicines, only a small portion of these reach the patient as recognised medicines. In this review, we use the example of rooibos (Aspalathus linearis (Burm.f.) R. Dahlgren)–which is globally consumed as aromatic, caffeine-free tea–to illustrate the hurdles that need to be overcome in the low-to middle-income countries, before progression of ethnomedicines to official treatment regimens can be achieved. In terms of methodology, regulatory system focused rooibos papers indexed on PubMed for the past three decades (n = 112) were accessed. Papers reporting duplication of previous results were excluded, as well as review papers. Topics covered includes the high standard of ethnomedicine drug discovery and efficacy testing research performed in Africa (and South Africa in particular in the case of rooibos), the potential bias in terms of preclinical research focus, ethnomedicine ownership and the requirement for independent clinical trial coordination and/or management.

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Section: Neglected Regulatory Systemsmentioning

confidence: 80%

Section: Rooibos: Doomed To Fail or On The Road To Success?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Rooibos: Doomed To Fail or On The Road To Success?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Rooibos: Doomed To Fail or On The Road To Success?mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Translation of preclinical ethnomedicine data in LMICs: the example of rooibos

Pretorius,

Smith

2023

Front. Pharmacol.

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“…In terms of the specific ethanolic green rooibos extract (GRE) employed in the current study, similar mechanisms have been reported. For example, we demonstrated in the context of neuroprotection, that GRE-which has an ORAC value of 8.1 µmol TE/mg [23]-was able to quench both synthetic (DPPH) and physiological (superoxide) radicals to protect neuronal cells from LPS-induced oxidative damage [23].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Aspalathus linearis (Rooibos) and Agmatine May Act Synergistically to Beneficially Modulate Intestinal Tight Junction Integrity and Inflammatory Profile

Pretorius

Smith

2022

Pharmaceuticals

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In order to promote gastrointestinal health, significant increases in the prevalence of gastrointestinal disorders should be paralleled by similar surges in therapeutics research. Nutraceutical interventions may play a significant role in patient management. The current study aimed to determine the potential of Aspalathus linearis (rooibos) to prevent gastrointestinal dysregulation resulting from high-dose trace-amine (TA) exposure. Considering the substantial female bias in functional gastrointestinal disorders, and the suggested phytoestrogenicity of rooibos, the study design allowed for a comparison between the effects of an ethanol extract of green rooibos and 17β-estradiol (E2). High levels of ρ-tyramine (TYR) and agmatine (AGM), but not β-phenethylamine (PEA) or tryptamine (TRP), resulted in prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) hypersecretion, increased tight-junction protein (TJP; occludin and ZO-1) secretion and (dissimilarly) disrupted the TJP cellular distribution profile. Modulating benefits of rooibos and E2 were TA-specific. Rooibos pre-treatment generally reduced IL-8 secretion across all TA conditions and prevented PGE2 hypersecretion after exposure to both TYR and AGM, but was only able to normalise TJP levels and the distribution profile in AGM-exposed cells. In contrast, E2 pre-treatment prevented only TYR-associated PGE2 hypersecretion and TJP dysregulation. Together, the data suggest that the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of rooibos, rather than phytoestrogenicity, affect benefits illustrated for rooibos.

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The Neuroprotective Effect of Rooibos Herbal Tea Against Alzheimer's Disease: A Review

Chipofya,

Docrat,

Marnewick

2024

Molecular Nutrition Food Res

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The world is experiencing a demographic shift toward an increasing proportion of elderly persons. Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other neurological disorders are far more likely to develop as people age. AD is a gradual, irreversible, and degenerative brain disorder that progressively deteriorates memory and cognitive function, eventually leading to death. Treatment for AD is the most significant unmet clinical need in neurology. There are no effective treatment options to prevent or reverse the degenerative process. The current medical management focuses primarily on temporarily easing symptoms, with little or no overall improvement. Although genetic predisposition and lifestyle factors influence the risk of neurodegenerative disorders, recent research suggests that dietary polyphenols with solid antioxidant capacities play crucial roles in determining brain health and aging. Aspalathus linearis is used to produce Rooibos, a popular South African herbal tea, which may modulate neurodegenerative mechanisms such as oxidative stress, tau protein, amyloid plaques, inflammation, and metals, all of which have been associated with AD. We reviewed the literature to evaluate the potential neuroprotective effects of Rooibos and its major flavonoids and to understand the underlying molecular mechanisms.

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Neuroprotective and anxiolytic potential of green rooibos (Aspalathus linearis) polyphenolic extract

Abstract: South African rooibos (Aspalathus linearis) tea is globally consumed for its health benefits and caffeine free nature, but no information is available on the neuroprotective capacity of (unfermented) green rooibos....

Cited by 14 publications

References 69 publications

Translation of preclinical ethnomedicine data in LMICs: the example of rooibos

Translation of preclinical ethnomedicine data in LMICs: the example of rooibos

Aspalathus linearis (Rooibos) and Agmatine May Act Synergistically to Beneficially Modulate Intestinal Tight Junction Integrity and Inflammatory Profile

The Neuroprotective Effect of Rooibos Herbal Tea Against Alzheimer's Disease: A Review

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