Abstrak
Parkinson's disease (PD) is a severe neurodegenerative disorder, that causes progressive motor issues from the loss of dopamine-producing neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc). Purple yam (Dioscorea alata), rich in anthocyanins, shows promise as a natural antioxidant and neuroprotectant. This study investigated the antiparkinsonian effects of D. alata extract on dopamine levels and brain microscopic features in a haloperidol-induced PD mouse model. Thirty-five male mice were randomly allocated into seven groups: normal (CMC-Na and aqua pro injection), haloperidol-induced negative control (CMC-Na), positive control (levodopa 39 mg/kgBW), curcumin (200 mg/kgBW), and D. alata extract-treated groups (100, 200, and 400 mg/kgBW). Treatments were administered daily for seven days. On day 8, all groups, except the normal control, received an intraperitoneal injection of haloperidol (2 mg/kgBW) to induce Parkinsonism. Three hours post-haloperidol injection, dopamine levels were measured from orbital vein blood. Subsequently, brains were harvested for histological examination of the SNpc using Toluidine blue staining. Data were statistically analyzed using one-way ANOVA followed by LSD post-hoc tests. The 400 mg/kgBW dose of D. alata extracts significantly increased dopamine levels (p 0.05) compared to the negative control group. Microscopic analysis of the SNpc in mice treated with 400 mg/kgBW extract revealed preserved, dark, and solid neuronal morphology, with significantly higher scoring results (p 0.05) when compared to the levodopatreated group. These findings suggest that D. alata extract, particularly at a dose of 400 mg/kgBW, exhibits potential antiparkinsonian activity by elevating dopamine levels and mitigating dopaminergic neuronal damage in a haloperidolinduced PD mouse model.