title: Cinnamon Converts Poor Learning Mice to Good Learners: Implications for Memory Improvement.
abstract: This study underlines the importance of cinnamon, a commonly used natural spice and flavoring material, and its metabolite sodium benzoate (NaB) in converting poor learning mice to good learning ones. NaB, but not sodium formate, was found to upregulate plasticity-related molecules, stimulate NMDA- and AMPA-sensitive calcium influx and increase of spine density in cultured hippocampal neurons. NaB induced the activation of CREB in hippocampal neurons via protein kinase A (PKA), which was responsible for the upregulation of plasticity-related molecules. Finally, spatial memory consolidation-induced activation of CREB and expression of different plasticity-related molecules were less in the hippocampus of poor learning mice as compared to good learning ones. However, oral treatment of cinnamon and NaB increased spatial memory consolidation-induced activation of CREB and expression of plasticity-related molecules in the hippocampus of poor-learning mice and converted poor learners into good learners. These results describe a novel property of cinnamon in switching poor learners to good learners via stimulating hippocampal plasticity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurological Sciences, Rush University Medical Center, 1735 West Harrison St, Suite, Chicago, IL, 310, USA.
authors.forename: Khushbu K
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Modi
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurological Sciences, Rush University Medical Center, 1735 West Harrison St, Suite, Chicago, IL, 310, USA.
authors.forename: Suresh B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Rangasamy
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurological Sciences, Rush University Medical Center, 1735 West Harrison St, Suite, Chicago, IL, 310, USA.
authors.forename: Sridevi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dasarathi
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurological Sciences, Rush University Medical Center, 1735 West Harrison St, Suite, Chicago, IL, 310, USA.
authors.forename: Avik
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Roy
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurological Sciences, Rush University Medical Center, 1735 West Harrison St, Suite, Chicago, IL, 310, USA. Kalipada_Pahan@rush.edu.|Division of Research and Development, Jesse Brown Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 820 South Damen Avenue, Chicago, IL, USA. Kalipada_Pahan@rush.edu.
authors.forename: Kalipada
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Pahan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002935:Cinnamomum zeylanicum; D017362:Cyclic AMP Response Element-Binding Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D007858:Learning / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D018697:Nootropic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: C492004:Creb1 protein, mouse; D017362:Cyclic AMP Response Element-Binding Protein; D018697:Nootropic Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts
keywords: CREB; Cinnamon; Memory and learning; Poor learners; Sodium benzoate