Fisetin, which also has anti-inflammatory properties and maintains levels of glutathione, a major cellular antioxidant that plays a key role in protecting against different types of stress in cells, has not yet been tested in humans. But Maher's findings suggest that the compound may be able to slow down the progression of Huntington's disease in humans and improve the quality of life for those who have it. While she cautions that it won't necessarily be effective for people already in the advanced stages of the disease, for those in the early stages or who are presymptomatic, fisetin might help.

Furthermore, once their safety and efficacy are proved in humans, the advent of substances like fisetin might prompt more people to be tested for the mutation. "Cells are damaged and dying before there are overt symptoms," Maher says. "If patients know they have the mutation, then they could potentially start treatment before they start showing symptoms, which might be more effective than waiting for the symptoms to appear, as many do now."

Maher's lab has developed a variety of fisetin derivatives that are more potent in cell-based assays than the fisetin used in the study, and she plans further tests to see which combination is most effective in HD and other neurodegenerative disorders.

In the meantime, does she recommend eating a lot of strawberries to gain fisetin's benefits?

"It probably couldn't hurt," she says.

In addition to Maher and Marsh, Richard Dargusch of the Salk Institute and Laszlo Bodai, Paul Gerard and Judy Purcell of the University of California, Irvine, contributed to the study.

SOURCE Salk Institute for Biological Studies