r where after filtrates were concentrated in vacuo using a rotary evaporator at 60uC. This procedure resulted in the isolation of a crude ethyl-acetate 
extract. To identify chemical constituents, crude ethyl-acetate extracts were thereafter analyzed by thin layer chromatography on pre-coated aluminium plates using Silica Gel 60 F254. Here we spotted a diluted portion of the isolated, crude extract and compared this with commercially obtained OA. After developing the TLC plate with ethyl acetate/hexane, it was exposed to ultraviolet light, sprayed with anisaldehyde/sulphuric acid/alcohol solution and the TLC plate subsequently dried with hot air. The appearance of a blue/violet-blue coloration indicated the presence of triterpenoids. Since the EAS fraction of S. aromaticum contained triterpenoids, it was subjected to further purification processes. We fractionated 2 g of EAS on silica gel by open column chromatography with a ratio of 7:3 ethyl acetate and hexane, respectively. An aliquot of each collected fraction was then subjected to TLC as before, and compared to commercially obtained OA. This allowed us to pool the remainder of collected fractions according to TLC profiles, which was thereafter concentrated in vacuo using a rotary evaporator at 55uC. Concentrates were reconstituted using minimal amounts of chloroform and crystallized OA allowed to air dry. We re-crystallized OA with ethanol and its structure was confirmed by spectroscopic analysis using 1D 10336422 and 2D 1H and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance techniques to a purity of,98%. For a small part of this study we also employed commercially available OA due to logistic reasons. Intracellular ROS 17876302 levels were determined by immunofluorescence microscopy as previously described. Briefly, cells were grown in special chamber slides and treated with OA as described above. Subsequently, live cells were incubated with 29,79dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate stain for 10 min at 37uC. The cells were then further stained with Hoechst dye in PBS at a ratio of 1:200 for 35 min. Stains were then washed off, and cells were Parkinson’s disease is the most common neurodegenerative motor disorder in the Western world. The disease is characterised clinically by resting tremor, rigidity and slowness of movement with symptoms being partially alleviated by administration of exogenous dopamine. Upon neuropathological examination, the brains of patients with PD show marked loss of pigmented dopaminergic neurons of the substantia nigra pars compacta, and other brain regions. In addition, surviving neurons frequently contain Lewy bodies which are intracytoplasmic proteinaceous inclusions, predominantly composed of aggregated a-synuclein. PD is a progressive, incurable and age-related disease, affecting,1.8% individuals by the age of 65 years. The majority of PD cases are sporadic, and the underlying molecular causes unknown. Insight into the mechanisms of PD pathogenesis has come from the identification of mutations in genes associated principally with familial forms of PD. Inherited forms of PD have been linked to mutations in six different genes with seemingly diverse functions. These encode the synaptic protein a-synuclein; an E3 ubiquitin ligase, parkin; a putative antioxidant chaperone, DJ-1, a mitochondrial kinase, -induced kinase 1 , a mitochondrial serine Ki-8751 web protease, OMI/HTRA2, and leucinerich repeat kinase 2 . Discovery of these genes have strongly implicated certain cellular processes in the etiology
