Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2025 May;15(5):128.
doi: 10.1007/s13205-025-04267-9. Epub 2025 Apr 16.

Targeting dopaminergic neuronal death: Luteolin as a therapeutic modulator in Parkinson's disease

Shivani Chib  1   2 , Bhaskar Jyoti Dutta  3 , Gurjeet Singh  4 , Randhir Singh  1 , Shamsher Singh  2
Affiliations

Targeting dopaminergic neuronal death: Luteolin as a therapeutic modulator in Parkinson's disease

Shivani Chib et al. 3 Biotech. 2025 May.

Abstract

Understanding the convoluted roles of dopamine in brain function is supreme for elucidating the pathophysiology and the therapeutic approach of movement disorders. Of which, Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive neurological ailment characterized by disturbed motor and non-motor functions. Luteolin, a plant-derived flavonoid, exhibits neuroprotective properties through its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. In this study, we evaluated the therapeutic potential of luteolin in a rotenone-induced Wistar rat model of PD. Results of behavior assessment showed that luteolin (25 mg/kg and 50 mg/kg i.p.) treatment for 28 days significantly and dose-dependently improved motor functions. Furthermore, biochemical analysis demonstrated that luteolin restored oxidative balance by elevating glutathione (GSH) levels and reducing nitrate content. Additionally, ELISA results indicated that luteolin modulated level of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and Bax, thereby reducing inflammation and neuronal apoptosis. Moreover, dopamine levels were significantly increased in rat brain homogenate, corroborating the neuroprotective effects of luteolin. Histopathological analysis further confirmed dopaminergic neuronal preservation in the cortex. These findings suggest that luteolin may serve as a potential therapeutic candidate for PD by mitigating oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, and apoptosis.

Keywords: Dopamine; Dopaminergic neurons; Luteolin; Parkinson’s disease; Rotenone.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interestThe authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest, financial or non-financial, related to this work.

References

    1. Akinrinde AS, Soetan KO, Tijani MO (2022) Exacerbation of diclofenac-induced gastroenterohepatic damage by concomitant exposure to sodium fluoride in rats: protective role of luteolin. Drug Chem Toxicol 45(3):999–1011 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Alabi AO, Ajayi AM, Ben-Azu B, Bakre AG, Umukoro S (2019) Methyl jasmonate abrogates rotenone-induced parkinsonian-like symptoms through inhibition of oxidative stress, release of pro-inflammatory cytokines, and down-regulation of immnopositive cells of NF-κB and α-synuclein expressions in mice. Neurotoxicology 74:172–183 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Bala R, Khanna D, Mehan S, Kalra S (2015) Experimental evidence for the potential of lycopene in the management of scopolamine induced amnesia. RSC Adv 5(89):72881–72892 - DOI
    1. Cao W, Luo J, Peng J, Zhu X, Li S, Ma J (2021) Protective effect of luteolin against oxidative stress during hypoxic ischemia-induced neuronal damage in neonatal rats. Trop J Pharm Res 20(4):749–755 - DOI
    1. Caridade-Silva R, Araújo B, Martins-Macedo J, Teixeira FG (2023) N-Acetylcysteine treatment may compensate motor impairments through dopaminergic transmission modulation in a striatal 6-hydroxydopamine Parkinson’s disease rat model. Antioxidants 12(6):1257 - DOI - PMC - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources