title: Betacyanins from Portulaca oleracea L. ameliorate cognition deficits and attenuate oxidative damage induced by D-galactose in the brains of senescent mice.
abstract: This experiment was designed to assess the protective effect of betacyanins from Portulaca oleracea L. against the D-galactose (D-gal)-induced neurotoxicity in mice. Betacyanins from Portulaca oleracea markedly reversed the D-gal-induced learning and memory impairments, as measured by behavioral tests. The activities of superoxide dismutases (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and glutathione reductase (GR) in D-gal-treated mice were enhanced, while the content of the lipid peroxidation product malondialdehyde (MDA) was decreased by betacyanin administration. Furthermore, significant negative correlations were found between mouse latency in finding the platform and the activities of SOD, CAT GR and GPx in the mouse brain, but the level of MDA correlated positively with the latency. These results suggest that the neuroprotective effect of betacyanins against D-gal-induced neurotoxicity might be caused, at least in part, by an increase in the activities of antioxidant enzymes with a reduction in lipid peroxidation. In comparison with vitamin C (VC), the betacyanins had a more pronounced effect on ameliorating cognition deficits in mice.
authors.affiliation: College of Life Sciences, Shandong University of Technology, Zibo 255049, Shandong, China. wangcq@sdut.edu.cn <wangcq@sdut.edu.cn>
authors.forename: Chang-Quan
authors.initials: CQ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Gui-Qin
authors.initials: GQ
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology; D002232:Carbocyanines / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004798:Enzymes / Q000378:metabolism; D005690:Galactose / Q000009:adverse effects; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D009498:Neurotoxins; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects*; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D031822:Portulaca / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D002232:Carbocyanines; D004798:Enzymes; D009498:Neurotoxins; D010936:Plant Extracts; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D001205:Ascorbic Acid; D005690:Galactose