1. EFFICIENCY OF PLANTS EXTRACTS
THAT CONTAIN MELATONIN IN
PARKINSON DISEASE RATS
Carlos J. Santos Pérez, RISE Student

2. Background Information
 The rats have a very
similar neurological system
to human.
 The cause of Parkinson
Disease in a patient is the
absence of dopamine.
 Symptoms:
 Trembling of the
extremities
 Stiffness
 Slowness
 Poor balance or
coordination

3. Melatonin
 Is an hormone that is produce in the brain by the
pineal gland, from the amino acid tryptophan.
 Synthesis and release of melatonin are stimulated
by darkness and suppressed by light, suggesting
the involvement of melatonin in circadian rhythm
and regulation of diverse body functions.
 Levels of melatonin in the blood are highest prior
to bedtime.

4. Melatonin Extract: Achillea millefolium
 Achillea millefolium- a
plant that is commonly
called Achillea, we
can found it in North
America and it
contains a high
concentration of
melatonin
 45.4 ng/g of the
plant.

5. Melatonin & Alzheimer
 Recent studies indicate that the presence of
melatonin in Alzheimer improve patient
health, so we can investigate if melatonin
has the same effect in patients with other
neurodegenerative disease , in this case
Parkinson’s Disease.

6. Objectives
 The objectives of this investigation are:
 Determine if the extract of Achillea help patience with
Parkinson Disease to control their involuntarily
movements.
 Prove that melatonin is a diverse remedial hormone that can
be use to treat Parkinson Disease Symptoms including the
lack of sleeping symptom

7. Hypothesis
 If we apply melatonin extract of Achillea plant in
rats with Parkinson Disease then we should see less
involuntarily movement in the rats at higher
concentrations of extract.

8. Rotenone
 The Rotenone Molecule is a
mithocondrial inhibitor that
have been used to induce
dopaminergic neuronal death.
 Inhibit the pathway of
dopamine production.
 That’s why it cause Parkinson’s
Disease.
 Rotenone at 3 mg/kg/day
will induce degeneration of
the nigrostriatal dopaminergic
pathway (Caboni, 2004)
 This will be subcutaneously

9. Procedure
 Extracts of Achillea millefolium.
 Need a Population of mice for the experiment.
 Groups:
 Control- It consist of 25 healthy rats and 25 sick rats. They
will not be affected by the extracts of Achillea millefolium.
 Experimental- It consist of three group:
 Concentration of 60%, will be injected subcutaneously.(25 rats)
 Concentration of 10% , will be injected subcutaneously(25 rats)

10. Rats
Control Group Experimental
Group
Rats with
Rats with Parkinson’s- 40% Rats with Parkinson’s
Healthy Rat(No Parkinon’s concentration of 10% of ML(5mL
ML) Disease(No Ml) ML(5mL subcutaneously)
subcutaneously)
Alcohol(25) Levodopa(25)

11. How to do the extracts?
 Tincture- Alcoholic extract that alcohol is the solvent.
 We will use: 40% and 90% of alcohol and plant.
 The ethanol extract have to be placed in rotatory
evaporator to eliminate the solvent, obtaining an
extract, which was weighed and stored in
dissecator.

12. Variables
 Time of Dosis of both of the concentrations: daily
5ml/day This will be for at least 1 year.
 Independent Variables- Concentrations and dosis of
the extracts may vary.
 Dependent Variable- the temblors and involuntary
movements of the rats.
 Type of Data- Qualitative. This research is based
on the observation of the rats behaviors.

13. Goals
 If my hypothesis is reaffirmed I will proceed to use
different plants to do the extracts and compare
results.
 As a second phase for my research project I will
expand my research work to primates.

14. References
 Ferri, Fred F. Practical guide to the care of the medical patient. – 7th ed.
Pages: 776-777
 Marsden CD. Problems with long-term levodopa therapy for Parkinson's
disease. Clin Neuropharmacol. 1994;Page 17
 Marioni F. A straightforward procedure to biosynthesise melatonin using
freshly chopped Achillea millefolium L. as reagent Phytochemistry
Letters, Volume 1, Issue 2, 21 August 2008, Pages 107-110
 German DC, Manaye K, Smith WK, Woodward DJ, Saper CB. Midbrain
dopaminergic cell loss in Parkinson's disease: Computer visualization. Ann
Neurol. 1989; 26:507–514.
 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18289173 Last visit- 7/25/2010
 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18289173 Last visit- 7/25/2010
 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15540952 Last visit- 7/25/2010
 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15540952 Last visit- 7/25/2010