aqueous extract of zizyphus jujuba fruit attenuates glucose induced neurotoxicity in an in vitro model of diabetic neuropathy

objective(s):the neuroprotective effect offruit aqueous extract of ziziphus jujuba lam on glucose-induced neurotoxicity in pc12 cells as an appropriate in vitro model of diabetic neuropathy was investigated. materials and methods: cell viability was determined by the mtt assay. cellular reactive oxygen species (ros) generation was measured by dcfh-da analysis. cleaved caspase-3, a biochemical parameter of cellular apoptosis, was measured by western blot analysis. results: our data showed that a 4-fold elevation in glucose levels within the medium significantly reduced cell viability, increased intracellular ros and caspase-3 activation in pc12 cells after 24 hr. incubation of the high glucose medium cells with 300-μg/ml z. jujuba fruit (zjf) extract decreased the high glucose-induced cell toxicity and prevented caspase-3 activation and excited ros generation. conclusion: thus, we concluded that the aqueous extract of z. jujuba protects against hyperglycaemia-induced cellular toxicity. this could be associated with the prevention of ros generation and neural apoptosis. moreover, the results suggest that the zjf has a therapeutic potential to attenuate diabetes complications such as neuropathy.