Beneficial effect of Toona sinensis Roemor on improving cognitive performance and brain degeneration in senescence-accelerated mice

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to examine the effects of Toona sinensis Roemor extracts on antioxidative activities, brain morphological changes and cognitive ability. In an in vitro study, the antioxidant capacities of water extracts from Toona sinensis Roemor leaf (TSL), root (TSR) and bark (TSB) were evaluated by an α,α-diphenyl-β-pricryl-hydrazyl radical-scavenging test. The results showed that the scavenging activities of all Toona sinensis Roemor extracts were over 80% at a concentration of 0·625mg/ml. In an in vivo study, 3-month-old male senescence-accelerated-prone 8 mice were used as the tested subjects and fed four different diets: casein diet or casein diet supplemented with 1% TSL, TSR or TSB extract for 12 weeks. The results showed that the mice supplemented with Toona sinensis Roemor extracts demonstrated significantly less amyloid β-protein deposition and lower levels of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances than the control group. All Toona sinensis Roemor diet groups also showed better active shuttle avoidance responses, and higher superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase activities, than the control group. It can thus be concluded that supplementation with either TSL, TSR or TSB extract could not only reduce the incidence of ß-amyloid plaques, but also improve learning and memory ability in senescence-accelerated-prone 8 mice. This might be due to the beneficial effects of Toona sinensis Roemor extracts on promoting the antioxidative defence system.