Green tea compound may protect brain cells from damage associated with Alzheimer’s disease

Three University of Waterloo students are investigating whether a compound found in green tea can protect nerve cell membranes from damage associated with Alzheimer’s disease. The research is being conducted in the laboratory of Zoe Leonenko and focuses on processes occurring at the nanoscale, Medical Xpress reports.

Charlotte Baur, Hugh Hossfeld, and Isabella Baricello are studying epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), a plant antioxidant found in green tea. The researchers are testing whether it can prevent damage to cell membranes caused by amyloid-beta, a protein that plays an important role in the development of Alzheimer’s disease.

The researchers use models of neuronal membranes and study their electrophysiological properties, particularly the movement of ions across the membrane. When amyloid-beta interacts with a neuronal membrane, small pore-like openings can form, allowing ions to pass through. This disrupts normal cell function and can lead to cellular damage.

“We hope to see a reduction in the number of ions passing through the membrane. If there are fewer ions passing through, that suggests that EGCG is providing some degree of protection,” Hossfeld explains.

In their experiments, Baur and Hossfeld observed a decrease in membrane permeability after exposure to EGCG. This may indicate a protective effect of the compound, but the findings are not yet sufficient to suggest that EGCG can prevent or treat the disease.

Baricello is studying the same process from a different perspective. She is using surface plasmon resonance (SPR), a method that makes it possible to study how molecules interact with a membrane surface. Specifically, she is investigating how amyloid-beta attaches to the membrane and whether EGCG can reduce or prevent the accumulation of amyloid on its surface.

The students’ work builds on previous research conducted in the laboratory, which examined other potentially protective compounds, including melatonin and trehalose.

The researchers hope to gain a more complete understanding of how membrane damage is linked to the development of Alzheimer’s disease and whether reducing such damage could slow the pathological process.