β-Carbolines in Experiments on Laboratory Animals

Some studies have ascribed a protective effect against neurodegenerative diseases to the β-carbolines harman (H) and norharman (NH), which occur mostly in coffee and coffee substitutes. We determined the concentrations of β-carbolines and undesirable compounds (such as acrylamide) in roasted coffee...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Renata Zawirska-Wojtasiak, Agnieszka Fedoruk-Wyszomirska, Paulina Piechowska, Sylwia Mildner-Szkudlarz, Joanna Bajerska, Elżbieta Wojtowicz, Krzysztof Przygoński, Dorota Gurda, Wiktoria Kubicka, Eliza Wyszko
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2020-07-01
Series:International Journal of Molecular Sciences
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/21/15/5245
Description
Summary:Some studies have ascribed a protective effect against neurodegenerative diseases to the β-carbolines harman (H) and norharman (NH), which occur mostly in coffee and coffee substitutes. We determined the concentrations of β-carbolines and undesirable compounds (such as acrylamide) in roasted coffee substitute ingredients and found that chicory coffee was optimal. Two in vivo experiments were conducted with seventeen-month-old male Sprague Dawley rats fed a diet with the addition of pure carboline standards in the first stage, and chicory in the second. We observed an increase in the level of H and NH in blood plasma, as well as higher activity of animals in the battery behavioral test, particularly in the second stage. The results of in vitro studies—particularly the level of the expression in brain tissue of genes associated with aging processes and neurodegenerative diseases—clearly show the benefits of a diet rich in β-carbolines.
ISSN:1661-6596
1422-0067