Effects of Pueraria candollei var mirifica (Airy Shaw and Suvat.) Niyomdham on Ovariectomy-Induced Cognitive Impairment and Oxidative Stress in the Mouse Brain

The effects of the phytoestrogen-enriched plant Pueraria mirifica (PM) extract on ovari-ectomy (OVX)-induced cognitive impairment and hippocampal oxidative stress in mice were investigated. Daily treatment with PM and 17 beta-estradiol (E2) significantly elevated cognitive behavior as evaluated by using the Y maze test, the novel object recognition test (NORT), and the Morris water maze test (MWM), attenuated atrophic changes in the uterus and decreased serum 17 beta-estradiol levels. The treatments significantly ameliorated ovariectomy-induced oxidative stress in the hippocampus and serum by a decrease in malondialdehyde (MDA), an enhancement of superoxide dismutase, and catalase activity, including significantly down-regulated expression of IL-1 beta, IL-6 and TNF-alpha proinflammatory cytokines, while up-regulating expression of PI3K. The present results suggest that PM extract suppresses oxidative brain damage and dysfunctions in the hippocampal antioxidant system, including the neuroinflammatory system in OVX animals, thereby preventing OVX-induced cognitive impairment. The present results indicate that PM exerts beneficial effects on cognitive deficits for which menopause/ovariectomy have been implicated as risk factors.

Automated summary

The phytoestrogen-enriched plant Pueraria mirifica extract was found to improve cognitive impairment and hippocampal oxidative stress induced by ovariectomy in mice. The treatment attenuated oxidative brain damage and dysfunctions in the hippocampal antioxidant system while preventing neuroinflammation, thereby suggesting potential benefits for cognitive deficits associated with menopause/ovariectomy.