Niti Sharma, Seong Soo A. An
Multitarget Actions of Pentacyclic Triterpenic Acids in Alzheimer’s Disease: Mechanistic Insights
Molecules 31(12):2018 (2026)
Neuroprotective plant compounds
We test spices, medicinal plants and their compounds for effects on several Alzheimer's disease processes at once, in cell-free assays and nerve-cell models.
Alzheimer's disease involves several processes at once: amyloid-β aggregation, loss of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, oxidative stress and inflammation. Drugs aimed at a single target have had limited success, so we study plant extracts and compounds that may act on several of these together. Examples include black pepper, clove, cardamom, fennel, dill and ajwain, carbazole alkaloids from curry leaves (Murraya), Pandanus, and the fungus Cordyceps.
We test extracts in cell-free assays for acetylcholinesterase inhibition, antioxidant activity and amyloid-β aggregation, and in SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cells exposed to amyloid-β or hydrogen peroxide, measuring cell survival, reactive oxygen species and mitochondrial membrane potential. Molecular docking helps identify which compounds are responsible. Reviews in this area cover phytosterols, triterpenic acids and other plant compound families.
Key methods
- Cell-free assays: acetylcholinesterase inhibition, antioxidant activity, amyloid-β aggregation
- SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells under amyloid-β or H₂O₂ stress
- Reactive oxygen species and mitochondrial membrane potential
- Phytocompound identification and molecular docking
Related publications
Himadri Sharma, Niti Sharma, Seong Soo A. An
Neuroprotective Evaluation of Murraya Carbazoles: In Vitro and Docking Insights into Their Anti-AChE and Anti-Aβ Activities.
PubMed 30(15) (2025)
Himadri Sharma, Hye-Won Yang, Niti Sharma, Seong Soo A. An
Multivalent Neuroprotective Activity of Elettaria cardamomum (Cardamom) and Foeniculum vulgare (Fennel) in H2O2-Induced Oxidative Stress in SH-SY5Y Cells and Acellular Assays
Pharmaceuticals 18(1):2 (2024)
Himadri Sharma, Hye-Won Yang, Niti Sharma, Seong Soo A. An
Neuroprotection by Anethum graveolens (Dill) Seeds and Its Phytocompounds in SH-SY5Y Neuroblastoma Cell Lines and Acellular Assays
International Journal of Molecular Sciences 25(13):7104 (2024)
Himadri Sharma
In vitro evaluation of neuroprotective effect of Anethum graveolens and its bioactives in H 2 O 2 -induced oxidative stress model of SH-SY5Y and biochemical studies
Alzheimer's Association International Conference (2024)
Himadri Sharma, Hye-Won Yang, Niti Sharma, Seong Soo A. An
Trachyspermum ammi Bioactives Promote Neuroprotection by Inhibiting Acetylcholinesterase, Aβ-Oligomerization/Fibrilization, and Mitigating Oxidative Stress In Vitro
Antioxidants 13(1):9 (2023)
Himadri Sharma, Niti Sharma, Seong Soo A. An
Unique Bioactives from Zombie Fungus (Cordyceps) as Promising Multitargeted Neuroprotective Agents
Nutrients 16(1):102 (2023)
Himadri Sharma, Niti Sharma, Seong Soo A. An
Black Pepper (Piper nigrum) Alleviates Oxidative Stress, Exerts Potential Anti-Glycation and Anti-AChE Activity: A Multitargeting Neuroprotective Agent against Neurodegenerative Diseases
Antioxidants 12(5):1089 (2023)
Himadri Sharma, Danyeong Kim, Kyu Hwan Shim, Niti Sharma, Seong Soo A. An
Multi-Targeting Neuroprotective Effects of Syzygium aromaticum Bud Extracts and Their Key Phytocompounds against Neurodegenerative Diseases
International Journal of Molecular Sciences 24(9):8148 (2023)
Kyu Hwan Shim, Niti Sharma, Seong Soo A. An
Mechanistic Insights into the Neuroprotective Potential of Sacred Ficus Trees
Nutrients 14(22):4731 (2022)
Kyu Hwan Shim, Min Ju Kang, Niti Sharma, Seong Soo A. An
Beauty of the beast: anticholinergic tropane alkaloids in therapeutics
Natural Products and Bioprospecting 12(1):33 (2022)
Mario A. Tan, Hayato Ishikawa, Seong Soo A. An
Pandanus amaryllifolius Exhibits In Vitro Anti-Amyloidogenic Activity and Promotes Neuroprotective Effects in Amyloid-β-Induced SH-SY5Y Cells
Nutrients 14(19):3962 (2022)
Mario A. Tan, Niti Sharma, Seong Soo A. An
Phyto-Carbazole Alkaloids from the Rutaceae Family as Potential Protective Agents against Neurodegenerative Diseases
Antioxidants 11(3):493 (2022)
Mario A. Tan, Niti Sharma, Seong Soo A. An
Multi-Target Approach of Murraya koenigii Leaves in Treating Neurodegenerative Diseases
Pharmaceuticals 15(2):188 (2022)
Niti Sharma, Mario A. Tan, Seong Soo A. An
Phytosterols: Potential Metabolic Modulators in Neurodegenerative Diseases
International Journal of Molecular Sciences 22(22):12255 (2021)
Niti Sharma, Mario A. Tan, Seong Soo A. An
Mechanistic Aspects of Apiaceae Family Spices in Ameliorating Alzheimer’s Disease
Antioxidants 10(10):1571 (2021)
Mario A. Tan, Byron Leander U. Tan, Maribel G. Nonato, Seong Soo A. An
Neuroprotective effects on amyloid-beta induced cytotoxicity of Pandanus clementis Merr
3 Biotech 11(7):330 (2021)
Siva Kumar Solleti, Hoshiyar Singh, Acharya Balkrishna, Niti Sharma, Anurag Varshney
Withanolides from Withania somnifera Ameliorate Neutrophil Infiltration in Endotoxin-Induced Peritonitis by Regulating Oxidative Stress and Inflammatory Cytokines
Planta Medica 88(06):466–478 (2021)
Mario A. Tan, Elena Zakharova, Seong Soo A. An
Diaportheone A Analogues Instigate a Neuroprotective Effect by Protecting Neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y Cells from Oxidative Stress
Biology 10(3):199 (2021)
Mario A. Tan, Seong Soo A. An
Potential therapeutic agents from Philippine medicinal plants against Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer s & Dementia 16(S9) (2020)
Mario A. Tan, Seong Soo A. An
Neuroprotective potential of the oxindole alkaloids isomitraphylline and mitraphylline in human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells
3 Biotech 10(12):517 (2020)
Mario A. Tan, Sebastian Jesus B. Gonzalez, Grecebio Jonathan D. Alejandro, Seong Soo A. An
Neuroprotective effects of vomifoliol, isolated from Tarenna obtusifolia Merr. (Rubiaceae), against amyloid-beta1-42-treated neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells
3 Biotech 10(10):424 (2020)
Prateek Pathak, Jurica Novak, Vladislav Naumovich, Maria Grishina, Acharya Balkrishna, Niti Sharma, Vinay Kumar Sharma, Vladimir Potemkin, Amita Verma
Polyphenolic rich extract of Oroxylum indicum alleviate β-glucuronidase activity via down-regulate oxidative stress: Experimental and computational studies
Biocatalysis and Agricultural Biotechnology 29:101804 (2020)
Acharya Balkrishna, Pradeep Nain, Anshul Chauhan, Niti Sharma, Abhishek Kumar Gupta, Ravikant Ranjan, Anurag Varshney
Super Critical Fluid Extracted Fatty Acids from Withania somnifera Seeds Repair Psoriasis-Like Skin Lesions and Attenuate Pro-Inflammatory Cytokines (TNF-α and IL-6) Release
Biomolecules 10(2):185 (2020)
Mario A. Tan, Mark Wilson Lagamayo, Grecebio Jonathan D. Alejandro, Seong Soo A. An
Anti-Amyloidogenic and Cyclooxygenase Inhibitory Activity of Guettarda speciosa
Molecules 24(22):4112 (2019)
Acharya Balkrishna, Subrata Kumar Das, Subarna Pokhrel, A. B. Joshi, Laxmi, Sudeep Verma, Vinai K Sharma, Vinamra Sharma, Niti Sharma, C. S. Joshi
Colchicine: Isolation, LC–MS QTof Screening, and Anticancer Activity Study of Gloriosa superba Seeds
Molecules 24(15):2772 (2019)
Acharya Balkrishna, Ravikant Ranjan, Sachin Shridhar Sakat, Vinay Kumar Sharma, Ravikant Shukla, Khemraj Joshi, Raviraj Anand Devkar, Niti Sharma, Sonia Saklani, Prateek Pathak, Pratima Kumari, Veena R. Agarwal
Evaluation of polyherbal ayurvedic formulation ‘Peedantak Vati’ for anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties
Journal of Ethnopharmacology 235:361–374 (2019)
Acharya Balkrishna, Niti Sharma, Vinay Kumar Sharma, Nayan Deep Mishra, Chandra Shekhar Joshi
Green synthesis, characterisation and biological studies of AgNPs prepared using Shivlingi ( Bryonia laciniosa ) seed extract
IET Nanobiotechnology 12(3):371–375 (2017)
Acharya Bal Krishna, Hemanth Kumar Manikyam, Vinay Kumar Sharma, Niti Sharma
Single dose oral toxicity study of Picrorhiza kurroa rhizome extract in Wistar rats
Fundamental Toxicological Sciences 3(1):9–12 (2016)
Acute oral toxicity study in rats with Mucuna pruriens seed extract
(2016)
Clastogenic effect of Picrorhiza kurroa rhizome extract on cultured human peripheral blood lymphocytes
Journal of HerbMed Pharmacology (2016)
Ergot Alkaloids: A Review on Therapeutic Applications
(2016)
Venkateswararao Eeda, Min‐Jeong Son, Niti Sharma, Manoj Manickam, Pulla Reddy Boggu, Young Ho Kim, Sun‐Hee Woo, Sang‐Hun Jung
Exploration of Pharmacophore in Chrysosplenol C as Activator in Ventricular Myocyte Contraction
ACS Medicinal Chemistry Letters 6(7):758–763 (2015)
Acute Oral Toxicity Study of Paris polyphylla extract in Rats
International Journal of Phytomedicine (2015)
Cytotoxicity Study in Non Malignant Fibroblast L929 Cell Line with Mucuna pruriens Seed Extract
International Journal of Phytomedicine (2015)
Niti Sharma, P Sharma, ND Jasuja, SC Joshi
Ameliorative efficiency of Coriandrum sativum seed extract on atherosclerosis and oxidative stress in male albino hyperlipidemic rabbits
Res. J. Pharm. Biol. Chem. Sci 5:26-39 (2014)