Reversal of high-fat diet-induced cognitive impairment and oxidative stress in the brain through Zingiber officinale supplementation

• Published in: Metabolic brain disease 2024-12, Vol.39 (8), p.1495-1503
• Main Authors: Luciano, Thais Fernandes, Teodoro de Souza, Claudio, de Oliveira, Jade, Muller, Alexandre Pastoris
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Antioxidants; Antioxidants - pharmacology; Antioxidants - therapeutic use; Biochemistry; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Brain - drug effects; Brain - metabolism; Carbonyls; Catalase; Cerebral cortex; Cognitive ability; Cognitive Dysfunction - drug therapy; Cognitive Dysfunction - etiology; Cognitive Dysfunction - metabolism; Diet; Diet, High-Fat - adverse effects; Dietary Supplements; Drug therapy; Ginger; High fat diet; Impairment; Inflammation; Male; Metabolic Diseases; Mice; Neurology; Neurosciences; Obesity; Obesity - drug therapy; Obesity - metabolism; Oncology; Oxidative stress; Oxidative Stress - drug effects; Plant Extracts - pharmacology; Plant Extracts - therapeutic use; Zingiber officinale
• ISSN: 1573-7365; 0885-7490; 1573-7365
• DOI: 10.1007/s11011-024-01406-8

Obesity is a significant health concern that is correlated with various adverse health outcomes. Diet-induced obesity (DIO) is associated with impaired cognitive function. Pharmacological treatments for obesity are limited and may have serious adverse effects. Zingiber officinale (ZO) has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, in addition to metabolic effects. This study aimed to assess the effects of Zingiber officinale supplementation on cognitive function, anxiety levels, neurotrophin levels, and the inflammatory and oxidative status in the cortex following DIO in mice. Two-month-old male Swiss mice were fed DIO or standard chow for 4 months and subsequently subdivided into the following groups ( n  = 10 mice/group): (i) control - vehicle (CNT + vehicle); (ii) CNT supplemented with ZO (CNT + ZO); (iii) obese mice (DIO + vehicle); and (iv) obese mice supplemented with ZO (DIO + ZO) ( n  = 10). Zingiber officinale extract (400 mg/kg/day) was administered for 35 days via oral gavage. The DIO + vehicle group exhibited impaired recognition memory. The CNT + ZO group presented a greater number of crossings in the open field. No difference between the groups was observed in the plus maze test. DIO + vehicle increased the DCFH and carbonylation levels in the cortex. The DIO + vehicle group presented a reduction in catalase activity. The expression of inflammatory or neurotrophin markers in the cerebral cortex was not different. In conclusion, our findings indicate that supplementation with ZO reverses the cognitive impairment in DIO mice and enhances the antioxidant status of the cerebral cortex.