Effects of bioavailable phenolic compounds from Ilex paraguariensis on the brain of mice with lung adenocarcinoma

Lung carcinoma is one of the most common cancers and has a high mortality. Recently, we showed that it produces neurological paraneoplastic syndrome, with Ilex paraguariensis (IP) extract exerting palliative effects due to its content of phenolic compounds. It is possible, therefore, that these diet agents can arrive at the brain and exert neuroprotection, after the oral intake of IP. Here, the aim was to investigate the protective role of bioavailable IP compounds on the telencephalon and diencephalon in lung adenocarcinoma-bearing BALB/cJ males. Mice aged 2 months were treated for 3 weeks with 0-100 IP mg·kg-1 ·day-1 . HPLC-UV revealed the presence of chlorogenic acid and quercetin in brain regions, liver, and tumour, in an IP dose-dependent manner. Brain was also evaluated histologically, and interleukin-6 was measured by ELISA. Chlorogenic acid was the major compound found in brain, whereas quercetin was observed at the diencephalon to a lesser extent. Both compounds were involved in IP dose-dependent diencephalic interleukin-6 reduction. Histology suggested cellular protection with less apoptosis in chlorogenic-exposed areas. Taken together, chlorogenic acid and quercetin from dietary IP were bioavailable and bioactive in brain, thereby attenuating lung cancer-related neuroinflammation and damage. These findings support plant-based strategies to improve prognosis.