Chitosan Nanoparticles Co-Encapsulating Selegiline Analogue and L-Tyrosine Mitigate Depression-Related Pathology and Cognitive Decline in Rats

Chronic depression is associated with oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, neurotransmitter imbalance, and Alzheimer’s-like changes. Current monoamine oxidase inhibitors have limited cognitive benefits and disease-modifying properties. A new nanotherapeutic, combining chitosan nanoparticles, propargylamino-1-(4-methylthiophenyl) propane (PAMTP), and L-tyrosine (En@PAMTP_Tyr), was developed. En@PAMTP_Tyr nanoparticles were ~140 nm in diameter, with a zeta potential of +27 mV and entrapment efficiencies of 73.45% for PAMTP and 90.85% for L-tyrosine. Drug release was pH-sensitive, favoring acidity. Intraperitoneal administration of En@PAMTP_Tyr reduced anhedonia, despair, cognitive deficits, and neuromuscular weakness, with efficacy matching or exceeding that of selegiline. In treated rats’ hippocampal tissue, En@PAMTP_Tyr increased superoxide dismutase and glutathione, normalized MAO and acetylcholinesterase activities, and corrected CUSD-induced TNF-α and IL-10 changes, showing antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Histological analyses revealed that En@PAMTP_Tyr preserved CA1 pyramidal neurons, reduced β-amyloid levels, restored tau protein, and improved brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels, indicating reduced neurodegeneration. Molecular docking studies showed that PAMTP had high affinity for monoamine oxidase and acetylcholinesterase, supporting its role as an MAO-B inhibitor and cholinergic modulator. These findings suggest that En@PAMTP_Tyr is a promising nanoplatform for targeting MAO-B in depression, addressing mood, cognitive function, oxidative stress, inflammation, and Alzheimer-like pathology in the hippocampus.