BUFFALO, NY — September 9, 2026 — A new #research paper was #published in Volume 18 of Aging on August 13, 2026, titled “Protective effects of three herbal extracts on mitochondrial dysfunction in VPS13C-knockdown SH-SY5Y cells: implications for Parkinson’s disease.” The study was led by co-first authors Yih-Ru Wu and Chih-Hsin Lin from the Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine in Taoyuan, Taiwan, and Pei-Syuan Huang from the School of Life Science at National Taiwan Normal University in Taipei, Taiwan. Corresponding authors I-Cheng Chen and Guey-Jen Lee-Chen are from the School of Life Science at National Taiwan Normal University. The paper identifies Wu, Lin, and Huang as equal contributors. Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized primarily by dysfunction and loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra. Although its causes are complex, mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress are important biological processes implicated in both sporadic and inherited forms of the disease. The researchers focused on VPS13C, also known as PARK23, a gene associated with a rare autosomal recessive form of early-onset parkinsonism. Loss of VPS13C function has previously been linked to impaired mitochondrial function. The study investigated three extracts used in traditional Chinese medicine: Uncaria rhynchophylla (UR), Gardenia jasminoides (GJ), and Scutellaria baicalensis (SB). Previous experimental studies have reported neuroprotective effects from these plants or their bioactive constituents in models relevant to PD. The researchers examined whether the extracts could protect cells against mitochondrial dysfunction associated with reduced VPS13C expression. Chemical analyses identified several potentially bioactive constituents in the extracts. UR contained rhynchophylline and isorhynchophylline; GJ contained geniposide and crocin; and SB contained several flavonoids, including baicalin, wogonoside, baicalein, wogonin, and oroxylin A. Across the concentrations initially tested, the three extracts maintained greater than 90% viability in SH-SY5Y cells after 24 hours, indicating low cytotoxicity under these experimental conditions. Full press release - https://www.aging-us.com/news-room/three-herbal-extracts-protect-mitochondrial-function-in-a-cellular-model-of-parkinsons-disease DOI - https://doi.org/10.18632/aging.206409 Corresponding authors - I-Cheng Chen - ichen@ntnu.edu.tw, Guey-Jen Lee-Chen - t43019@ntnu.edu.tw Abstract video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kM8hO89d_9k Sign up for free Altmetric alerts about this article - https://aging.altmetric.com/details/email_updates?id=10.18632%2Faging.206409 Subscribe for free publication alerts from Aging - https://www.aging-us.com/subscribe-to-toc-alerts Keywords - aging, Parkinson’s disease, traditional Chinese medicine, VPS13C knockdown, mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress To learn more about the journal, please visit https://www.Aging-US.com and connect with us on social media at: Bluesky - https://bsky.app/profile/aging-us.bsky.social ResearchGate - https://www.researchgate.net/journal/Aging-1945-4589 X - https://twitter.com/AgingJrnl Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/AgingUS/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/agingjrnl/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/aging/ Reddit - https://www.reddit.com/user/AgingUS/ Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/AgingUS/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@Aging-US Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1X4HQQgegjReaf6Mozn6Mc MEDIA@IMPACTJOURNALS.COM
