Plant compound may help repair brain injuries – study

 

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Plant compound may help repair brain injuries – study

A plant compound improved movement and nerve repair in mice with traumatic brain injury, a study has found.

The substance, known as isorhoifolin, helped damaged nerve projections regrow and reduced harmful substances in astrocytes, a type of brain cell.

Researchers also detected the compound in mouse brain tissue 15 minutes after administering it through the nose, suggesting a possible non-invasive delivery method.

The study was conducted by researchers at National Tsing Hua University (NTHU) in Taiwan, who identified isorhoifolin in the tropical plant Monstera epipremnoides.

Linyi Chen, dean of NTHU’s College of Life Sciences and Medicine and leader of the research team, said the compound acts on two types of brain cells, potentially creating better conditions for nerve repair.

The researchers explained that recovery requires both the regrowth of damaged nerve structures and the removal of harmful substances, including free radicals, which can slow the process.

The research took more than eight years and involved screening over 2,000 extracts from nearly 900 plants at the Dr. Cecilia Koo Botanic Conservation Center, a nonprofit tropical plant conservation organisation in Taiwan’s Pingtung County.

Researchers extracted approximately 1kg of leaves and sent active fractions to Germany for further separation and identification, eventually isolating isorhoifolin.

After determining its structure, the team began chemically synthesising the compound and can now produce it on a gram scale.

Working with NTHU’s chemistry department, the researchers are also developing related compounds.

Wang Yi, the study’s first author and a doctoral student at NTHU’s Institute of Molecular Medicine, said larger-scale drug production and toxicology testing would be needed before clinical trials could begin.

The team also plans to seek guidance from the US Food and Drug Administration.

Chen suggested the findings could provide a basis for future research into other neurological injuries and inflammatory conditions, including stroke and brain fog associated with COVID-19.

These potential applications have not yet been established in clinical studies.

If further development and clinical trials are successful, researchers could explore nasal sprays for mild cases and intravenous treatment for severe cases.

According to NTHU, approximately 70 million people worldwide experience traumatic brain injuries each year, and no approved drug currently directly promotes nerve repair and functional recovery.

The findings remain at the preclinical stage, with the reported improvements observed in mice rather than humans.

Larger-scale production, toxicology testing and clinical trials will be needed before isorhoifolin can be considered a potential treatment for people with traumatic brain injury.