title: A flavanoid component of chocolate quickly reverses an imposed memory deficit.
abstract: The ability to remember is influenced by environmental and lifestyle factors, such as stress and diet. A flavanol contained in chocolate, epicatechin (Epi), has been shown to enhance long-term memory (LTM) formation in Lymnaea. Combining two stressors (low-calcium pond water and crowding) blocks learning and all forms of memory; that is, this combination of environmentally relevant stressors creates a memory-unfriendly state. We tested the hypothesis that Epi will immediately reverse the memory-unfriendly state, i.e. that snails in the memory-deficit state when trained in Epi will immediately become competent to learn and form memory. We found that Epi not only reverses the memory-deficit state but also further enhances LTM formation. Thus, a naturally occurring bioactive plant compound can overcome a memory-unfriendly state. This supports the idea that bioactive substances may mitigate memory-making deficits that, for example, occur with ageing.
authors.affiliation: Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 4N1.
authors.forename: Bogdan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Knezevic
authors.affiliation: Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 4N1.
authors.forename: Yoshimasa
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Komatsuzaki
authors.affiliation: Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 4N1.
authors.forename: Emily
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: de Freitas
authors.affiliation: Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 4N1 lukowiak@ucalgary.ca.
authors.forename: Ken
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lukowiak
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002099:Cacao / Q000737:chemistry*; D002392:Catechin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003216:Conditioning, Operant; D003441:Crowding; D005618:Fresh Water / Q000737:chemistry; D007858:Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D008195:Lymnaea / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D057567:Memory, Long-Term / Q000187:drug effects; D013312:Stress, Physiological
chemical_list: D002392:Catechin
keywords: Epicatechin; Long-term memory; Lymnaea; Stress