STEM I: The Independent Research Project!
Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics with Science and Technical Writing (STEM/STW) is a course taught by Dr. Crowthers. In the first part of this class, called STEM I, students work on their 5-month long independent Research Projects, where they can choose a topic on interest and work on it. This class culminates to February Fair, where students present the findings and conclusions. Take a look at my work below!
Investigating the Neuroprotective Effects of T. ammi on Parkinson's Disease via the Gut-Brain Axis
Parkinson's Disease is one of the world's most common neurodegenerative diseases (NDD). It occurs in about 1-2 in every 1000 people, and its symptoms include tremors, stiffness, and a loss of control of the muscles. While Parkinson's mainly originates in the brain, recent studies have hinted at the gut being a potential area of origin, which the gut-brain axis being a key player in this idea. I wanted to look more into the gut-brain axis, and so that is where my whole project came from. My project is trying to see if T. ammi (which is a medicinal plant that has been used in Ayurvedic medicine) has any positive on Parkinson's. I will test T. ammi's effects by conducting various assays, including locomotion, thrashing, oxidative stress, gut permeability, and alpha-synuclein levels. After I conducted these assays, I had sufficient evidence to say that T. ammi does, in fact, have a positive effect on Parkinson's Disease.
Abstract
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disease (NDD) that is characterized by the gradual loss of dopaminergic neurons and progressive motor impairment. Recent studies suggest that PD may originate in the gut, highlighting the gut-brain axis (GBA) as a critical area for research. This study investigated the neuroprotective potential of Trachyspermum ammi (T. ammi) oil on PD-associated symptoms using Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) as a model organism. This study will assess various PD symptoms including impaired locomotion, dopaminergic neuron degeneration, elevated reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, and gut permeability. PD was induced in C. elegans using genetic models, and varying concentrations of T. ammi oil were incorporated into the worms’ food. Behavioral assays (locomotion, thrashing) as well as physiological assays (oxidative stress, alpha-synuclein levels, and gut permeability), were conducted to assess the impact of T. ammi oil on these parameters. Results from these assays suggested a positive effect of T. ammi on Parkinson’s, with the ajwain-treated groups showing improved locomotion, thrashing, improved survival under oxidative stress and even lowered alpha-synuclein levels. The findings support the hypothesis that T. ammi oil mitigates PD-like symptoms in C. elegans. The results of this study could be further applied to develop an efficient, cost-effective, and widely available treatment for mitigating PD symptoms in humans.
Graphical Abstract
Significance
This research is important because it provides valuable insight into neuroprotective effects of T. ammi in mitigating Parkinson’s disease through the gut-brain axis. By demonstrating reduced alpha-synuclein aggregation and improved locomotion, this research highlights the therapeutic potential of ajwain in addressing neurodegeneration. The findings contribute to the growing field of gut-brain interactions and suggest that natural compounds could play a role in future treatments for Parkinson’s disease.
Research Question
What are the effects, if any, of T. ammi on Parkinson's Disease?
Hypothesis
T. ammi will have a positive effect on Parkinson's Disease, and this includes improved locomotion, improved thrashing, improved resistance to oxidative stress, and lower alpha-synuclien levels.
Background
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disease (NDD) that affects 1-2 out of 1,000 people (Bindas et al., 2021). Historically, PD has been understood as a disorder characterized by the progressive loss of fine motor ability and linked to negative changes in the brain. However, recent studies have suggested a connection between the gut and the brain in PD pathogenesis, referred to as the gut-brain hypothesis (Bindas et al., 2021). This gut-brain hypothesis has motivated research on gut PD pathology and its relation to the gut microbiota. Early findings have identified several potential gut triggers for the buildup of alpha-synuclein in neurological tissue, the pathological hallmark of PD, suggesting that the interactions between gut microbiota and the brain may be more important and previously thought. Although it is still unclear what mechanisms underlie gut-brain transmission, treatments via the gut-brain axis could prove to be useful when trying to address PD.
Background Infographic
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Discussion/Conclusion
The primary objective of this study was to assess the neuroprotective effects of Trachyspermum ammi (Ajwain) oil on Parkinson’s disease (PD) models via the gut-brain axis. Through locomotion assays, gut permeability assays, and statistical analyses, significant differences were observed between the experimental groups, supporting the hypothesis that Ajwain oil mitigates PD-associated motor impairments. Locomotion data, analyzed through a one-way ANOVA test, yielded a p-value of 7.2674E-30, indicating statistically significant differences in body bends among the three groups. A post hoc Tukey HSD test confirmed that Parkinson’s worms exhibited significantly fewer body bends compared to Wildtype worms (while the introduction of Ajwain oil improved locomotion.
These results suggest that T. ammi oil reduces PD-related motor impairments, aligning with previous studies on neuroprotection via the gut-brain axis (Smith et al., 2020). However, unlike prior studies that focused on probiotics and synthetic compounds, this research explores a natural remedy with potential therapeutic applications. Thrashing data was also analyzed similarly. A one-way ANOVA test yielded a p-value of 1.11E-16, indicating a significant difference in thrashing motion between all the groups. After this, a post HOC Tukey HSD test was performed. Results from the Tukey HSD test also showed that there is a significant difference between groups treated with Ajwain vs. groups that were not treated with Ajwain. This provides sufficient evidence that Ajwain oil improves thrashing in patients with Parkinson’s disease.
There is also significant evidence to support the conclusion that ajwain has an antioxidant effect on Parkinson’s disease, as shown in Graph 4. In this graph, the Parkinson’s disease and Parkinson’s Vehicle control died first, which is expected because worms with Parkinson’s disease have impaired antioxidant defense mechanisms. The WildType and WildType Vehicle Control live longer, and this is also expected because they have a functional oxidative stress response and are overall better equipped to handle oxidative stress. Key points to notice from this graph is that ajwain oil improved survival of the Parkinson’s worms by almost 20%, and this is because the antioxidant properties of Ajwain would’ve helped to neutralize the high ROS levels and reduce oxidative stress in the Parkinson’s worms. There is also significant evidence that Ajwain has neuroprotective effects on Parkinson’s disease, and this is because it lowered alpha-synuclein levels as shown in Graph 3. In fact, worms treated with ajwain demonstrated a significant decrease in alpha-synuclein levels compared to untreated Parkinson’s worms, suggesting that ajwain's bioactive compounds, such as thymol, may facilitate protein clearance mechanisms or inhibit aggregation. This reduction in alpha-synuclein likely contributed to improved locomotion and oxidative stress resistance, reinforcing ajwain’s potential as a natural therapeutic agent for mitigating neurodegenerative damage associated with Parkinson’s disease
References (APA format)
Feb Poster
