Ameliorating Effect on Aβ-Induced Alzheimer’s Mice by Litsea cubeba Persoon Powder

• Published in: Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Switzerland), 2021-09, Vol.26 (18), p.5709
• Main Authors: Lee, Kuan-Tseng, Chu, Chen-Yeon, Chiang, Shen-Shih
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aging; Alzheimer's disease; Amyloid; amyloid β protein; Atrophy; Carbonyl compounds; Carbonyls; Chemical composition; cognitive impairment; Dementia; Dementia disorders; Drug dosages; Essential oils; Fruits; Gas chromatography; Geranial; Laboratory animals; Learning; Limonene; Litsea cubeba Persoon; Malondialdehyde; Mass spectrometry; Mass spectroscopy; Melatonin; Memory; Native peoples; Neral; Neurotoxicity; Oils & fats; Oral administration; Oxidative stress; Phosphors; Plaques; Powder; Proteins
• ISSN: 1420-3049; 1420-3049
• DOI: 10.3390/molecules26185709

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is caused by excessive oxidative damage and aging. The objective of this study was to investigate the anti-dementia effect of LCP fruit powder on amyloid β (Aβ)-induced Alzheimer’s mice. The composition of LCP essential oil was determined by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. In addition, the water maze was used to evaluate the learning and memorizing abilities of the mice. The concentrations of malondialdehyde (MDA), protein carbonyl, phosphorylated τ-protein, and the deposition of Aβ plaques in mouse brains were also assessed. The results showed that the main components of essential oils in LCP and d-limonene, neral, and geranial contents were 14.15%, 30.94%, and 31.74%, respectively. Furthermore, oral administration with different dosages of LCP significantly decreased the escape time (21.25~33.62 s) and distance (3.23~5.07 m) in the reference memory test, and increased the duration time (26.14~28.90 s) and crossing frequency (7.00~7.88 times) in the target zone of probe test (p < 0.05). LCP also inhibited the contents of MDA and the phosphor-τ-protein from oxidative stress, reduced the brain atrophy by about 3~8%, and decreased the percentage of Aβ plaques from 0.44 to 0.05%. Finally, it was observed that the minimum dosage of LCP fruit powder (LLCP, 30.2 mg/day) could prevent oxidative stress induced by Aβ and subsequently facilitate memory and learning deficits in Aβ-induced neurotoxicity and cognitively impaired mice.