Compounds extracted from marigold flowers may be useful in treating Parkinson’s disease, according to a study done in laboratory models.
The study, “Active compounds from Calendula officinalis flowers act via PI3K and ERK signaling pathways to offer neuroprotective effects against Parkinson’s disease,” was published in Food Science & Nutrition.
The plant Calendula officinalis, also known as the pot marigold or Jin Zhan Ju has a long history of use in traditional Chinese medicine.
In this study, scientists in China and Ukraine tested the effects of an extract from this plant in a zebrafish model of Parkinson’s. The fish larvae were treated with MPTP, a chemical that’s toxic to dopaminergic neurons — the nerve cells that become dysfunctional and die in Parkinson’s.
Read the complete article at parkinsonsnewstoday.com