Improvement of learning and memory in senescence-accelerated mice by s-allylcysteine in mature garlic extract

Masakazu Hashimoto, Tsuyoshi Nakai, Teruaki Masutani, Keiko Unno, Yukihiro Akao

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

6 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

S-allylcysteine (SAC), a major thioallyl compound contained in mature garlic extract (MGE), is known to be a neuroactive compound. This study was designed to investigate the effects of SAC on primary cultured hippocampal neurons and cognitively impaired senescence-accelerated mice prone 10 (SAMP10). Treatment of these neurons with MGE or SAC significantly increased the total neurite length and number of dendrites. SAMP10 mice fed MGE or SAC showed a significant improvement in memory dysfunction in pharmacological behavioral analyses. The expression of α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) receptor, N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor, and phosphorylated α-calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) in the hippocampal tissue of SAMP10 mice fed MGE or SAC was significantly suppressed, especially in the MGE-fed group. These findings suggest that SAC positively contributes to learning and memory formation, having a beneficial effect on brain function. In addition, multiple components (aside from SAC) contained in MGE could be useful for improving cognitive function by acting as neurotrophic factors.

Original languageEnglish
Article number1834
Pages (from-to)1-16
Number of pages16
JournalNutrients
Volume12
Issue number6
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 06-2020
Externally publishedYes

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Food Science
  • Nutrition and Dietetics

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