In vitro and in vivo effects of Amanita muscaria tincture on the a. basilaris contractility and on a rotenone-induced model of Parkinson’s disease

Amanita muscaria is a well-known mushroom containing the GABAA receptor agonist muscimol, a compound of growing interest due to its potential neuroprotective properties. The present study investigated the in vivo neuroprotective effects of an A. muscaria tincture (AM) in a rotenone-induced mouse model of Parkinson’s disease and evaluated its in vitro effects on the contractility of rat arteria basilaris . Muscimol content in the tincture was quantified by HPLC. Mice were treated with AM alone or in combination with rotenone for 30 days, after which oxidative stress markers and brain histology were assessed. Rotenone significantly increased malondialdehyde levels and lowered reduced glutathione concentrations in brain homogenates, accompanied by marked degenerative-necrotic changes. Co-treatment with AM significantly attenuated lipid peroxidation, preserved glutathione levels, and maintained brain histoarchitectonics. In vitro vascular studies demonstrated that both AM and pure muscimol (10 µM) significantly reduced the basal tone of isolated rat a. basilaris . These findings demonstrate a pronounced neuroprotective effect of A. muscaria tincture in a rotenone-induced model of Parkinsonism and reveal a vasorelaxant action of muscimol on cerebral arteries.