Objectives: Students will be able to define neurodegenerative disease and polyphenols. Students will be able to describe Parkinson’s disease. Students will be able to compare and contrast healthy versus unhealthy neurons from

microscopy images, and identify the anatomical differences between the healthy neurons and the unhealthy neurons similar to those found in Parkinson’s disease.

By looking at photos of a research experiment, students will be able to describe the anatomy of the cells, post treatment, and draw a conclusion from the experiment to test if elderflower extract protects neurons from cellular death.

Students will be able to discuss the potential medical benefit of this finding and propose a next step for its investigation.

Next Generation Science Standard: HS-LS1-3. Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence that feedback mechanisms maintain homeostasis.

Materials: Each student needs the worksheet and a pencil or pen. If you prefer to project the images in the front of the class, you will need a projector or a computer with a screen. Otherwise, each student will need a printed version of the three images – also included in this document.

Background: Within this activity, students will learn about neurodegenerative diseases and potential mechanisms to maintain cellular health.

The most common of neurodegenerative diseases in America are Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease. Neurodegenerative diseases occur when nerve cells, also known as neurons, lose function and ultimately die (cellular death). These diseases alter the anatomical structure of the neurons prior to their cellular death. In Parkinson’s disease, neurons lose their long neurites extending from the round cell body. Neurites are any projection from a cell body and can be an axon, dendrite, or a developing axon or dendrite. These parts of the neuron are crucial for the function of neurons: receiving, processing, and sending information to and from other neurons. This signal transition is vital, as neurons form networks throughout our bodies and are the building block of the nervous system. Given this, it is unsurprising that Parkinson’s disease is characterized by a variety of motor and non-motor symptoms that rely on the nervous system.

Planted Podcast Season 1: Ep. 4 LessonTesting the Medical Potential of Elderflower

Figure above taken from Maiti, Manna and Dunar. Current understanding of the molecular mechanisms in Parkinson’s disease: Targets for potential treatments. Translational Neurodegeneration (2017).

Scientists investigate the medicinal qualities of plants that are used as treatments by different cultural groups, a subject known as enthopharmacology or enthnomedicine. Many of the products and medicines we use today have been derived from plants, and 35,000 – 70,000 plant species have been screened for their medical use to date. Generally, plant compounds or remedies go through a rigorous process of evaluation and assessment before they are used within medicines. These stages include: 1) identification of the plant compound, 2) traditional preparation and assessment, 3) bio-evaluation of the pharmacological potential, 4) clinical effectiveness trials, 5) social-medical aspects, and 6) public health and pharmacy practice issues concerning public use. This activity focuses on the bio-evaluation phase of the process, by testing the pharmacological potential of elderflower extract to aid neurons affected by Parkinson’s disease.

Many plants have polyphenols and other bioactive components. Polyphenols, including flavonoids and phenolic acid, are compounds that have been shown to decrease the risk of cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. To date, many scientific studies suggest that consumption of diets rich in plant polyphenols offer protection against some cancers, neurodegenerative diseases, diabetes, and osteoporosis. Scientists are actively researching the use of polyphenols in medicines for these diseases. To read more about the known health benefits of polyphenols and their chemical structure, see here. Scientists are actively researching Elderflower extract as it has high polyphenol, or phenolic and antioxidant concentrations. Within this activity, students will engage with results from an experiment, testing for the neuroprotective capability of elderflower extract.

What is Microscopy? This technique uses microscopes to view and/or take photos of objects that cannot be seen with the naked eye. Within this activity, students will view images of neurons taken using powerful microscopes.

Planted Podcast Season 1: Ep. 4 LessonTesting the Medical Potential of Elderflower

Procedure:1. Ask the students what organ / body system controls our movements and make up a

signaling network throughout our bodies. Answer: Nervous system 2. Ask a student to come to the board and draw what element makes up the building block of

the nervous system, labeling as much or as little as they remember about its components. A diagram is listed below. However, correct their answer given your grade level and previous content.

3. Discuss with the class the function of these different parts of the neuron and how each component is crucial to the function of these neurons.

4. Ask the students what might happen to their function if the dendrites or the axon were lost. Answer: The neuron would lose the ability to receive and send information to and from other neurons.

5. Discuss with the class what they would predict would happen if a person’s neurons lost this ability. What about if it was throughout the entire system or within specific components – like their leg or their spinal column?

6. Introduce the class to neurodegenerative diseases, specifically Parkinson’s, by discussing that these are diseases that result from this loss of function.

7. Show the class this video, ~8 minutes, about Parkinson’s disease (high school level): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3n8UjH9h_8I&t=72s

8. Discuss with the class how scientists are trying to cure or prevent these diseases by turning to compounds found in plants that are used in treatment by specific cultural groups, ethnopharmacology or ethnomedicine.

9. Walk students through the different phases of evaluation and assessment of plant compounds.

a. Identification of the plant compoundb. Traditional preparation and assessmentc. Bio-evaluation of the pharmacological potentiald. Clinical effectiveness trialse. Social-medical aspectsf. Public health and pharmacy practice issues concerning public use

Planted Podcast Season 1: Ep. 4 LessonTesting the Medical Potential of Elderflower

10.Tell students that they will be helping to investigate the potential medical use of elderflower extract to help protect neurons from developing Parkinson’s disease.

11.Explain to students that this experiment targeted healthy neurons that can be affected by Parkinson’s disease. The researcher then targeted a few neurons with a toxic chemical that reproduces the same physiological affect as Parkinson’s. Then the researcher treated some cells with the toxic chemical and elderflower extract. This experiment is a, “bio-evaluation of the pharmacological potential” of elderflower extract.

12. Instruct the students to make their observations on the worksheet and that after reviewing the results of this experiment – we will be making a conclusion if elderflower extract could potentially be used in medicine.

13.Orient students to the image of the healthy neurons, stating that this image is of untreated neurons and is taken with a powerful microscope.

14. Instruct students to fill out the questions on their worksheet, making observations about the anatomical structure of the neuron.

15.Orient students to the image of the unhealthy neurons, stating that this image is of treated neurons – with just the toxin that reproduces Parkinson’s disease characteristics.

16. Instruct students to fill out the questions on their worksheet. 17.Orient students to the image of the experimental result, neurons treated with both the toxin

and the elderflower extract.18. Instruct students to fill out the questions on their worksheet.19. Instruct students to discuss the results in pairs and draw a conclusion about whether

elderflower extract had any level of influence on the neurons. 20.Discuss as a class their conclusions and confirm that the elderflower extract protected the

neurons from cellular death. 21. Introduce the concept of neuroprotective capability. 22.Describe how scientists are actively researching the capability of elderflower extract in

medicines – but how many studies have found that they are high in polyphenols. 23.Describe what polyphenols are and how scientific studies have found that diets high in

them reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancers, neurodegenerative diseases and osteoporosis.

24.Ask students what would be the next step for testing if elderflower extract could be used in medicine form for protecting against any of these diseases. Answer: Any answer calling out: clinical effectiveness trials, social-medical aspects, or public health and pharmacy practice issues concerning public use.

Planted Podcast Season 1: Ep. 4 LessonTesting the Medical Potential of Elderflower

Image A: Untreated Neurons

Photo Credit: Aurélie de Rus Jacquet, Janelia Research CampusDescription: The left image shows two healthy neurons colored in green. They have long, string-like extensions called neurites.

Image B: Toxin Treated Neuron

Planted Podcast Season 1: Ep. 4 LessonTesting the Medical Potential of Elderflower

Photo Credit: Aurélie de Rus Jacquet, Janelia Research CampusDescription: The middle image shows the neurons after treatment with a toxin known to kill neurons. This toxin treatment reproduces features of Parkinson’s disease in the cultured neurons. The green neuron lost his neurites, and this is a sign of a dying cell.

Planted Podcast Season 1: Ep. 4 LessonTesting the Medical Potential of Elderflower

Image C: Toxin and Elderflower Extract Treated Neuron

Photo Credit: Aurélie de Rus Jacquet, Janelia Research CampusDescription: This is a neuron that has been treated with the toxin and an extract prepared from elderflower. The neuron looks healthy because it has long neurites extending from a round cell body. These images suggest that the elderflower extract protected the neurons from cell death induced by the toxin.

Planted Podcast Season 1: Ep. 4 LessonTesting the Medical Potential of Elderflower

Testing the Medical Potential of Elderflower Extract for Parkinson’s Disease Worksheet:

Name: _______________________

What is a neuron? (Label the parts on the diagram to the right)

What is its function within the nervous system?

What is Parkinson’s disease? How does it affect a neuron’s cellular health?

What is Enthnopharmacology?

What steps do scientists take to extract compounds from plants and assess if they can be used in medicine?

1) ___________________________ 2) ______________________________

3) ____________________________ 4) ______________________________

5) ____________________________ 6) ______________________________

Planted Podcast Season 1: Ep. 4 LessonTesting the Medical Potential of Elderflower

Elderflower Extract Experiment:Scientist Dr. Aurélie Jacquet needs our help! She conducted an experiment to see if elderflower extract has the potential to aid in Parkinson’s disease treatment and prevention. She has given us three images, taken with powerful microscopes, and stained the neurons green so that we can see them. Write down observations to help Dr. Aurélie Jacquet discover if elderflower extract has the potential to be used in medicine and stop the neurons from cell death.

Elderflower Experiment Notes:

Image A: Untreated Neurons: What components do these neurons have?

Do they look healthy or unhealthy?

Would they be able to send or receive signals?

Are they on their way to cellular death?

Image B: Toxin Treated Neurons: What components does this neuron have?

Does it look healthy or unhealthy?

Would it be able to send or receive signals?

Is it on its way to cellular death?

Image C: Elderflower and Toxin Treated Neurons: What components does this neuron have?

Does it look healthy or unhealthy?

Would it be able to send or receive signals?

Is it on its way to cellular death?

Experimental Conclusion: Does elderflower affect the anatomy of neurons that are treated with the toxin? If so, how?

Does elderflower have any potential to protect neurons from cellular death in Parkinson’s disease?

Planted Podcast Season 1: Ep. 4 LessonTesting the Medical Potential of Elderflower

What should Dr. Aurélie Jacquet do next to test out its medical potential further?

Planted Podcast Season 1: Ep. 4 LessonTesting the Medical Potential of Elderflower