RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Plant-Derived Flavanol (−)Epicatechin Enhances Angiogenesis and Retention of Spatial Memory in Mice
JF The Journal of Neuroscience
JO J. Neurosci.
FD Society for Neuroscience
SP 5869
OP 5878
DO 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0914-07.2007
VO 27
IS 22
A1 Henriette van Praag
A1 Melanie J. Lucero
A1 Gene W. Yeo
A1 Kimberly Stecker
A1 Neema Heivand
A1 Chunmei Zhao
A1 Ed Yip
A1 Mia Afanador
A1 Hagen Schroeter
A1 John Hammerstone
A1 Fred H. Gage
YR 2007
UL http://www.jneurosci.org/content/27/22/5869.abstract
AB Diet and exercise have a profound impact on brain function. In particular, natural nutrients found in plants may influence neuronal survival and plasticity. Here, we tested whether consumption of a plant-derived flavanol, (−)epicatechin, enhances cognition in sedentary or wheel-running female C57BL/6 mice. Retention of spatial memory in the water maze was enhanced by ingestion of (−)epicatechin, especially in combination with exercise. Improved spatial memory was associated with increased angiogenesis and neuronal spine density, but not newborn cell survival, in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus. Moreover, microarray analysis showed upregulation of genes associated with learning and downregulation of markers of neurodegeneration in the hippocampus. Together, our data show that ingestion of a single flavanol improves spatial memory retention in adult mammals.