Biotin supplementation could reduce the risk of developing manganese-induced neurotoxicity, study finds

Published: 22-Jan-2025

The NIH-supported study found that Biotin can exhibit a neuroprotective effect against chronic manganese exposure — a condition characterised by Parkinson's disease-like symptoms

A novel study conducted by the University of Rochester Medical Center has found that gut microbiome-produced biotin (vitamin B7) can mitigate the negative effects of high manganese exposure — which has been linked to the development of Parkinson's disease-like symptoms.

The investigation, which was conducted both in vivo and in vitro, found that biotin supplementation can have a neuroprotective effect when an organism is exposed to high levels of the metal.

This suggests that supplementation with biotin may mitigate the impacts of manganese-induced damage, which can occur through environmental over-exposure. 

 

Striking a balance

Although manganese is essential to normal bodily functioning, dietary and environmental over-exposure can cause significant health problems. 

If an individual takes in too much manganese from their environment, it can exhibit a neurotoxic effect, with common symptoms resembling those of Parkinson's disease; for example, patients may experience tremors, a decline in cognition and muscle stiffness.

Manganese toxicity is most likely to occur in individuals who work as smelters, welders or miners — though contaminated water is another common way in which people become exposed. 

As excessive heavy metal exposure can be highly detrimental to an individual's wellbeing, researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Center wanted to determine if supplementation with key antioxidant nutrients such as biotin could mitigate this impact.

 

Manganese's detrimental effects confirmed

To assess the overall impact of occupational manganese over-exposure, researchers developed a fruit fly model that mimics the conditions seen in humans.

They also tested this theory in vitro with human dopaminergic neurons, which were differentiated with induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). 

Through these assessments, it was confirmed that manganese can induce motor deficits, mitochondrial dysfunction and neuronal loss, while also reducing lifespan. 

A hallmark of manganese's neurotoxic effect was the loss of dopamine-producing cells — which is a main characteristic underlying the disease pathology of Parkinson's. 

 

Biotin mitigates the impact of manganese over-exposure

During the study, researchers found that biotin could mitigate the ill effects of the heavy metal by enhancing dopamine production. 

Supplementation with the vitamin also reversed neurotoxicity in both the fruit fly and human neurone models, while also contributing to a reduction in cell loss. 

Interestingly, biotin is a vitamin commonly produced by gut microbiota, which suggests that gut bacteria indirectly offer a neuroprotective effect. 

Sarkar Souvarish, lead author of the study and assistant professor at the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) Departments of Environmental Medicine and Neuroscience, commented: “Biotin supplementation shows potential as a therapeutic strategy to mitigate manganese-induced neurodegeneration, and the safety and tolerability of biotin in humans make it a promising candidate for further exploration,”

“Biotin-rich prebiotics or biotin-producing probiotics could provide non-pharmacological intervention options, but more studies have to performed," he concluded.

 

References

https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/scisignal.adn9868

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