Zerumbone augments cognitive enhancement potentials of EPA+DHA: insight from a hyperlipidaemic rat model

• Published in: British journal of nutrition 2020-12, Vol.124 (12), p.1353-1360
• Main Authors: Uppin, Vinayak, Acharya, Pooja, Kempaiah, Bettadaiah Bheemanakere, Talahalli, Ramaprasad Ravichandra
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animal cognition; Animal models; Animals; Behaviour, Appetite and Obesity; Cognition - drug effects; Cognitive ability; Cognitive Dysfunction - etiology; Cognitive Dysfunction - prevention & control; Coordination; Diet; Diet, High-Fat - adverse effects; Disease Models, Animal; Docosahexaenoic Acids - pharmacology; Eicosapentaenoic Acid - pharmacology; Fatty acids; Field tests; Fish oils; Fish Oils - pharmacology; Hyperlipidemia; Hyperlipidemias - diet therapy; Hyperlipidemias - psychology; Inflammation; Latency; Male; Memory; Metabolism; Morris Water Maze Test; Motor skill; Motor Skills - drug effects; Nootropic Agents - pharmacology; Open-field behavior; Oxidative stress; Public health; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Risk analysis; Risk Factors; Sesquiterpenes - pharmacology; Signal transduction; Skills; Zerumbone
• ISSN: 0007-1145; 1475-2662
• DOI: 10.1017/S0007114520002445

Hyperlipidaemia and cognitive dysfunction (CD) are the two public health concerns. Though hyperlipidaemia has been comprehensively studied in respect to CVD, its role on CD needs to be explored. Hence, we evaluated hyperlipidaemia as a risk factor for CD and the efficacy of EPA (20 : 5n-3) + DHA (22 : 6n-3) and zerumbone (Z) in modulating CD under hyperlipidaemic conditions. Male Wistar rats (Rattus norvegicus) were fed control, high-fat (HF), high-fat + fish oil (HF + F), high-fat + zerumbone (HF+Z) and high-fat + fish oil + zerumbone (HF+F+Z) containing diets. After a 30 d feeding trial, memory parameters (Morris water maze, elevated plus maze (transfer latency) and T-maze (spontaneous alteration)) and locomotor skills (open field test and rotarod test) were assessed. Hyperlipidaemia significantly (P < 0·05) reduced memory and motor coordination skills compared with control. However, the administration of EPA + DHA and zerumbone significantly (P < 0·05) restored the hyperlipidaemia-induced loss of memory and motor coordination skills. Collectively, our data imply that hyperlipidaemia causes CD by decreasing memory and motor coordination skills, and administration of EPA + DHA and zerumbone prevents hyperlipidaemia-induced CD. The augmented effect of EPA + DHA, together with zerumbone, discloses a promising strategy for lowering the severity of CD in hyperlipidaemic conditions.