Convolvulus pluricaulis (Shankhapushpi) ameliorates human microtubule-associated protein tau (hMAPτ) induced neurotoxicity in Alzheimer's disease Drosophila model

Convolvulus pluricaulis (Shankhapushpi) has long been used as traditional herbal medicine in India as nerve tonic. We studied the neuroprotective effects of C. pluricaulis extract (aqueous) against human microtubule-associated protein tau (hMAP tau) induced neurotoxicity in Alzheimer's disease (AD) Drosophila model. We analysed the lifespan, locomotor activity, tau protein level, reactive oxygen species (ROS), lipid peroxidation (LPO), catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activities in 10th, 20th and 30th days old control (wild type), tau control tauopathy Drosophila reared on C. pluricaulis supplemented with regular food or regular standard food. C. pluricaulis significantly offsets hMAP tau induced early death and extends the lifespan and diminishes the level of tau protein in tauopathy Drosophila. C. pluricaulis also enhances the antioxidant enzyme activities and ameliorates the tau-induced oxidative stress and restore the depleted AChE activity in the fly model. This study provides the first evidence that supplementation of C. pluricaulis along with the regular standard food ameliorate the neurotoxic effect of hMAP tau in AD Drosophila model and also reveals that it is a potent neuro-protective agent.