Abstract

Oxidative stress is a key process in the development of neurodegenerative diseases. More attention is needed to screen natural antioxidants and explore pharmacological mechanisms. Natural product polysaccharides with no toxic side effects have powerful antioxidant activity. Two purified intracellular polysaccharide fractions (IPS1 and IPS2) from Paecilomyces cicadae TJJ1213 was isolated. Then, a model of H 2 O 2 -induced oxidative stress in PC12 cells was established to investigate the neuroprotective role of IPS and elucidate the potential protection mechanism. Results showed that IPS1 and IPS2 reduced reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, inhibited the leakage of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and Ca 2+ and attenuated the expression of apoptotic proteins. In addition, western blots displayed that IPS1 and IPS2 significantly inhibited mitophagy induced by H 2 O 2 in PC12 cells via PINK/Parkin pathway. Therefore, IPS1 and IPS2 deserved further investigation as protective agents against neurodegenerative diseases.