Sorghum grain polyphenolic extracts demonstrate neuroprotective effects related to Alzheimer's disease in cellular assays

Sorghum grain contains high levels and a diverse profile of polyphenols (PPs), which are antioxidants known to reduce oxidative stress when consumed in the diet. Oxidative stress leading to amyloid-β (Aβ) aggregation, neurotoxicity, and mitochondrial dysfunction is implicated in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Thus, PPs have gained attention as possible therapeutic agents for combating AD. This study aimed to (a) quantify the phenolic compounds (PP) and antioxidant capacities in extracts from six different varieties of sorghum grain and (b) investigate whether these PP extracts exhibit any protective effects on human neuroblastoma (BE(2)-M17) cells against Aβ- and tau-induced toxicity, Aβ aggregation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) induced by Aβ and tert-butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP). PP and antioxidant capacity were quantified using chemical assays. Aβ- and tau-induced toxicity was determined using the 3-(4,5-dimenthylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-dimethyltetrazolium bromide (MTS) assay. The thioflavin T (Th-T) assay assessed anti-Aβ aggregation. The dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate (DCFDA) assay determined the levels of general ROS and the MitoSOX assay determined the levels of mitochondrial superoxide. Sorghum varieties Shawaya short black-1 and IS1311C possessed the highest levels of total phenolics, total flavonoids, and antioxidant capacity, and sorghum varieties differed significantly in their profile of individual PPs. All extracts significantly increased cell viability compared to the control (minus extract). Variety QL33 (at 2000 µg sorghum flour equivalents/mL) showed the strongest protective effect with a 28% reduction in Aβ-toxicity cell death. The extracts of all sorghum varieties significantly reduced Aβ aggregation. All extracts except that from variety B923296 demonstrated a significant (p ≤ 0.05) downregulation of Aβ-induced and TBHP-induced ROS and mitochondrial superoxide relative to the control (minus extract) in a dose- and variety-dependent manner. We have demonstrated for the first time that sorghum polyphenolic extracts show promising neuroprotective effects against AD, which indicates the potential of sorghum foods to exert a similar beneficial property in the human diet. However, further analysis in other cellular models and in vivo is needed to confirm these effects.