We have identified compounds that show a neuroprotective action in vivo, in models of neurodegenerative diseases (e.g. SMA, Parkinson, Alzheimer, Huntington) in the model organism C. elegans. These compounds consist of: mixtures of 22 natural extracts, 15 natural molecules and 11 synthetic molecules. As for the natural extracts, for many of them we have identified the types of plants, cultivars, parts of the plant, methods of chemical extraction, physical treatments and growing conditions, which give the best neuroprotective abilities in different disease models. The dose response was evaluated for natural and synthetic molecules. It was also possible to identify the molecular mechanism of action for some of the compounds under examination. The best hits are being validated using mammalian cell cultures.
The technology is characterized by a cross-cutting interest for the nutraceutical and pharmaceutical industries, either for the production of functional foods with neuroprotection and prevention capabilities for neurodegenerative diseases, or for the production of drugs. Many neurodegenerative diseases of genetic origin, being rare, are less studied, and for this reason defined as “orphans”. Furthermore, the increase of the life span in Western countries is associated with an increase in neurodegenerative diseases related to age. For these reasons, the identification of new neuroprotective molecules is of great interest to the market. Many of the compounds were obtained from edible plants and therefore non-toxic to humans, and some of them are from parts normally discarded (sustainable sources). Furthermore, the model system used (C.elegans) allows, compared to other model animals, to perform further characterization analysis in a very short time (days), at low cost and without the sacrifice of vertebrate animals.