| Alzheimer's disease (AD) affects approximately 35.6 million people in the world today (35). It is expected that by year 2050, an individual will develop AD every 33 seconds (8). Unfortunately, the etiology is not well known. Familial Alzheimer's disease (FAD) occurs due to specific genetic mutations, making it possible to replicate them in cells. Using B103 rat neuroblastoma cells transfected with a cDNA construct, wild type cells and FAD mutant cells were used in this research.;Natural ingredients such as oil palm phenolics (OPP) contain antioxidants. After finding the optimal experimental parameters, OPP was found to aid in the destabilization of Aβ plaques and also decrease the protein expression levels of amyloid precursor protein (APP), and the inflammatory biomarkers poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2). This research is one small step in better understanding AD and how using ingredients such as OPP may help in one day developing a treatment for this debilitating disease. |
