A groundbreaking study at the University of Texas at El Paso has revealed that compounds derived from used coffee grounds may be able to prevent or treat neurodegenerative diseases, including: Alzheimer’s disease Prevents Parkinson’s disease by protecting brain cells.
Neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and Huntington’s disease affect millions of people in the United States, and the costs of caring for people living with these diseases add up to enormous amounts. Become. hundreds of billions of dollars each year.
Now, researchers at the University of Texas at El Paso may have found a solution in used coffee grounds, which are discarded every day by homes and businesses around the world.
Coffee grounds to treat neurodegenerative diseases
The team, led by Jyotish Kumar, a doctoral student in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, and supervised by Dr. Mahesh Narayan, Professor in the Department and Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, discovered that caffeineacidCarbon quantum dots (CACQDs) obtained from used coffee grounds protect brain cells from damage caused by several neurodegenerative diseases when symptoms are triggered by factors such as obesity, age, and exposure to pesticides. there’s a possibility that. and other toxic environmental chemicals. Their research is described in a paper published in his November issue of the journal. environmental research.
“Caffeic acid-based carbon quantum dots have the potential to revolutionize the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases,” Kumar said. “This is because current treatments do not solve the disease; they only help manage the symptoms. Our aim is to develop treatments by addressing the atomic and molecular underpinnings that cause these symptoms. It’s about finding out.”
Neurodegenerative diseases and their early stages
Neurodegenerative diseases are primarily characterized by the loss of neurons or brain cells. These impede a person’s ability to perform basic functions such as movement and speech, as well as more complex tasks such as bladder and bowel function and cognitive abilities.
When the disorder is in its early stages and caused by lifestyle or environmental factors, these disorders have some common characteristics. These include increased levels of free radicals (harmful molecules known to contribute to other diseases such as cancer, heart disease, and vision loss) in the brain, which can lead to plaques and fibrils. Contains aggregates of fragments of amyloid-forming proteins. In your brain.
Kumar and colleagues found that CACQDs were neuroprotective across test tube experiments, cell lines, and other models of Parkinson’s disease when the disease was caused by an insecticide called paraquat. The research team observed that CACQDs can scavenge free radicals, prevent free radical damage, and inhibit the aggregation of amyloid protein fragments without causing serious side effects.
Prevention and treatment of the disease in its early stages
The research team hypothesizes that in humans, in the very early stages of diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, CACQD-based treatments may be effective in preventing full-blown disease.
“It’s important to address these diseases before they reach the clinical stage,” Narayan said. “At that point, it’s probably too late. Current treatments that can address advanced symptoms of neurodegenerative diseases are beyond the means of most people. Our goal is to treat advanced symptoms of neurodegenerative diseases at a cost that is manageable for as many patients as possible.” , to devise solutions that can prevent most of these symptoms.”
Unique properties of caffeic acid
Caffeic acid belongs to a group of compounds called polyphenols, and is a plant-derived compound known for its antioxidant and free radical scavenging effects. Caffeic acid is unique in that it can cross the blood-brain barrier and therefore affect cells in the brain, Narayan said.
The process by which the research team extracted CACQDs from used coffee grounds is considered “green chemistry,” meaning environmentally friendly. The research team “cooked” a sample of coffee grounds at 200 degrees for four hours, reorienting the carbon structure of caffeic acid to form CACQDs. Narayan said the abundance of coffee grounds makes the process economical and sustainable.
Ongoing research and future prospects
This study National Institutes of Health. In addition to Kumar, dozens of UTEP graduate and undergraduate students have worked with Narayan on this project. Among them is Sofia Delgado, a former UTEP undergraduate who is currently pursuing her Ph.D.in yale university.
The researchers will now seek additional funding to support further trials.
Narayan and Kumar said they know the finish line is still a long way off. But for now, they are on a journey that could eventually lead to a drug, perhaps a pill, that can prevent the majority of neurodegenerative diseases caused by factors other than genetics.
Reference: “Recarbonization of Caffeic Acid: A Green Chemistry, Sustainable Carbon Nanomaterials Platform to Intervene Neurodegeneration Caused by Emerging Pollutants” Jyotish Kumar, Sofia A. Delgado, Hemen Sarma, Mahesh Written by Narayan, August 19, 2023 environmental research.
DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.116932
Funding: NIH/National Institutes of Health