Effects of Dendropanax morbiferus Leaf Extract on Sleep Parameters in Invertebrate and Vertebrate Models

Kayoung Ko; Yejin Ahn; Ga Yeong Cheon; Hyung Joo Suh; Yun Jae Cho; Sung-Soo Park; Ki-Bae Hong

doi:10.3390/antiox12101890

Effects of Dendropanax morbiferus Leaf Extract on Sleep Parameters in Invertebrate and Vertebrate Models

Antioxidants (Basel). 2023 Oct 21;12(10):1890. doi: 10.3390/antiox12101890.

Authors

Kayoung Ko¹, Yejin Ahn², Ga Yeong Cheon¹, Hyung Joo Suh³, Yun Jae Cho⁴, Sung-Soo Park¹, Ki-Bae Hong¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Food Science and Nutrition, Jeju National University, Jeju 63243, Republic of Korea.
² Research Group of Functional Food Materials, Korea Food Research Institute, Wanju-gun 55365, Republic of Korea.
³ Department of Integrated Biomedical and Life Science, Graduate School, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea.
⁴ R&D Center, JEJUPANATEK Inc., Jeju 63243, Republic of Korea.

Abstract

Dendropanax morbiferus is highly valued in traditional medicine and has been used to alleviate the symptoms of numerous diseases owing to its excellent antioxidant activity. This study aimed to evaluate the sleep promotion and related signaling pathways of D. morbiferus extract (DE) via behavioral analysis, molecular biological techniques, and electrophysiological measurements in invertebrate and vertebrate models. In Drosophila, the group treated with 4% DE experienced decreased subjective nighttime movement and sleep bout and increased total sleeping time. Moreover, substantial changes in locomotor activity, including distance moved, velocity, and movement, were confirmed in the 4% DE-treated group. Compared to Drosophila in which insomnia and oxidative stress were induced by exposure to 0.1% caffeine, the DE-treated group improved sleep-related parameters to the level of the normal group. In the Drosophila model, exposure to 4% DE upregulated the expression of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-related receptors and serotonin receptor (5-HT1A), along with the expression of antioxidant-related factors, glutathione, and catalase. In the pentobarbital-induced sleep test using ICR mice, the duration of sleep was markedly increased by high concentration of DE. In addition, through the electroencephalography analysis of SD-rats, a significant increase in non-rapid-eye-movement sleep and delta waves was confirmed with high concentrations of DE administration. The increase in sleep time and improvement in sleep quality were confirmed to be related to the expression of altered GABA receptors and the enhancement of the contents of the neurotransmitters GABA and serotonin (5-HT) because of high DE administration. High-dose administration of DE also increased the expression of antioxidant-related factors in the brain and significantly decreased malondialdehyde content. Taken together, DE induced improvements in sleep quantity and quality by regulating neurotransmitter content and related receptor expression, along with high antioxidant activity, and may have a therapeutic effect on sleep disorders.

Keywords: Dendropanax morbiferus; animal models; antioxidants; neuromodulation; sleep.

Grants and funding

This research was financially supported by the Ministry of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) and Startups (MSS), Republic of Korea, under the “Regional Specialized Industry Development Plus Program (R&D, S3265742)” supervised by the Korea Technology and Information Promotion Agency for SMEs (TIPA).