BHT stopped nerve cell death in lab tests by acting as an antioxidant—it prevented damage from harmful molecules and protected a specific enzyme (glutathione peroxidase 4) that cells need to survive. In rats with Alzheimer's-like conditions, BHT also reduced the expression of genes linked to this type of cell death, suggesting it might have protective effects in the brain.

Researchers tested BHT on human nerve cells in culture dishes, exposing them to compounds that trigger a specific type of cell death called ferroptosis, then measured whether BHT could prevent it. They also gave BHT to rats with Alzheimer's disease symptoms and checked if it affected related genes in the brain.

Funding not disclosed in abstract