Tan Suat Cheng

Title : Neuroprotective effect of Baicalein active compound enriched from Oroxylum indicum for Endothelin-1 induced ischemic stroke rat model

Abstract:

Background: Ischemic stroke is caused by cerebral occlusion which ultimately leads to neuronal cell death. Recently, traditional medicinal plants have been extensively studied for their therapeutic potential for ischemic stroke treatment. In this study, multipotent neural stem cell (NSC) culture was optimized with an active compound (baicalein) extracted from Oroxylum indicum plant which has been shown to exert neuroprotection effect to enhance the NSC survival rate after transplantation into ischemic brain.

Materials and method: Baicalein-enriched fraction (BEF) was successfully extracted from the leaves of O. indicum and quantified using TLC and HPLC. In vitro expandable NSCs were preconditioned with BEF at optimum dosage (3.125 µg/ml) for 48 hours determined through MTT assay before the cells were transplanted into endothelin-1 induced ischemic stroke animal group. Animal behaviors and stroke severity were observed and recorded for 14 days. Remodelling of damaged brain tissues was also assessed using TTC and H&E histological stainings.

Results: Ischemic stroke animal group with BEF-preconditioned NSCs showed improved neurological function compared to control groups. Improvements in histological assessments also were observed within 14 days after the preconditioned NSC transplantation.

Conclusions: Local medicinal plant, O. indicum, contributed to the survival of NSCs in ischemic condition and significantly improved the damaged neuronal tissue caused by stroke.

Biography:

Dr. Tan obtained her B. Sc. (honours) in Biotechnology at School of Science and Technology, Universiti Malaysia Sabah with First Class Honour and was selected as the only recipient of Royal Academic Award (non-indigenous category) of the year 2007. In 2008, she obtained full scholarship from Ministry of Higher Education, Malaysia to pursue her PhD at Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetic (DPAG), University of Oxford. Upon graduation in 2011, she was appointed as Senior Lecturer of Biomedicine in Universiti Sains Malaysia. Dr. Tan received several academic recognitions/awards including selected as Malaysian Fellow for 47th Asia Pacific Advanced Network Meeting in Daejoen, South Korea; selected as Malaysian Young Scientist Representative for 68th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings in Lindau, Germany; appointed by Academic Science of Malaysia (ASM) as the Affiliate Member of Young Scientist Network-ASM; Travel award from International Society of Heart Research in 2010; Student award from Green Templeton College, University of Oxford in 2010; Competitive bursary from both British Society for Cardiovascular Research and Oxford Stem Cell Institute in 2011 and so on. Further, she also obtained seven research grants from Universiti Sains Malaysia and Ministry of Higher Education between years 2012 to 2020. Currently, she is pioneering a Neural Stem Cell Research Group in School of Health Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia. Her current research focuses on developing a reliable stem cell-based therapeutic technique to treat human neurological disorders such as stroke.