A natural compound found in strawberries -and other fruits such as blueberries, persimmons or apples- , fisetin, has proven to be an effective ally in preventing Alzheimer’s disease and other age-related neurodegenerative diseases. Researchers, from the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla, California (USA), tested a fisetin treatment in rodents, discovering a reduction in cognitive decline and brain inflammation.
Fisetin has been the subject of study in the last decade, the results of which have indicated that the compound has antioxidant properties, that is, it can help limit cell damage caused by free radicals. A 2014 study, for example, found that fisetin reduced memory loss in mice with Alzheimer’s. However, the research focused on mice with hereditary / familial Alzheimer’s disease, which accounts for just 3% of all cases of Alzheimer’s disease.
So the scientists were looking to determine whether fisetin might have the same benefits for sporadic Alzheimer’s, the most common form of the disease , which occurs with age. Thus, they tested the fisetin compound in mice that had been genetically modified to age prematurely.
When these rodents were 3 months old, they were divided into two groups. The first group received a dose of fisetin along with their food every day for 7 months, up to 10 months of age. The other group did not receive the compound, as a control group.
All rodents were subjected to cognitive and behavioral tests throughout the study, as well as analysis of the levels of markers linked to stress and inflammation.
The results revealed that 10-month-old mice that did not receive fisetin showed an increase in markers associated with stress and inflammation, and performed significantly worse on cognitive tests than mice that were treated with the compound. “At 10 months, the differences between these two groups were striking,” explains Pamela Maher, leader of the work.
As if that weren’t enough, the brains of mice not treated with fisetin showed two types of neurons that were promoting inflammation. This was not the case for the mice in the first group of the experiment.
According to the researchers, the behavior and cognitive function of the treated mice were comparable to those of 3-month-old mice.
The authors believe their findings indicate that fisetin may lead to a new preventive strategy for Alzheimer’s, as well as other age-related neurodegenerative diseases.
“ Mice are not people, of course, but there are enough similarities that we think fisetin warrants a closer look, not only for treating Alzheimer’s disease, but also for reducing some of the cognitive effects. associated with aging in general, “concludes Maher.
Referencia: Fisetin Reduces the Impact of Aging on Behavior and Physiology in the Rapidly Aging SAMP8 Mouse . Antonio Currais Catherine Farrokhi Richard Dargusch Aaron Armando Oswald Quehenberger David Schubert Pamela Maher. The Journals of Gerontology Series A. Junio 2017 doi.org/10.1093/gerona/glx104
