Protective effect of curcumin in transgenic Drosophila melanogaster model of Parkinson’s disease

Studies on model organisms have been found to be invaluable in clarifying the cellular and molecular basis of normal cellular processes and disease pathogenesis. Drosophila mutants and transgenes have provided a platform to understand the mechanisms associated with degenerative disease. Studies on the role of polyphenols in protecting against neurodegenerative diseases are limited. In the present study, the effect of curcumin at various doses was studied on the climbing ability of the transgenic Drosophila melanogaster that expresses normal human α-synuclein in the neurons. A significant dose-dependent protection against loss of climbing ability was observed. The results suggest that curcumin can strongly improve the climbing ability of Parkinson’s disease model flies and also supports the utility of this model in studying the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.