5-Hydroxymethylfurfural, an antioxidant agent from Alpinia oxyphylla Miq. improves cognitive impairment in Aβ 1-42 mouse model of Alzheimer's disease.

5-Hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) is a main effective compound of Alpinia oxyphylla Miq. ethanol extract, which showed memory improvement activity against Alzheimer's disease in previous study. In order to identify a potential therapeutic agent, the neuroprotective effects of 5-HMF on impairment of cognition and memory function induced by intracerebroventricular (ICV) injection of Aβ 1-42 were investigated in vivo. The mice were treated with 5-HMF at dose of 15 μg/kg and 150 μg/kg (ICV) for five consecutive days after ICV-Aβ 1-42. The results showed that 5-HMF significantly ameliorated learning and memory impairment evaluated by the locomotor activity, Y-maze test, and Morris water maze test. Furthermore, 5-HMF significantly inhibited the β-secretase activity, decreased the content of Aβ 1-42 and malondialdehyde (MDA), and increased the antioxidative enzyme activities including superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx). Results of hippocampus slices showed that neuronal were integrated and regularly arranged in the groups which were administered along with 5-HMF, indicating that 5-HMF could mitigate the degree of neuronal damage. The present study indicated that 5-HMF may serve as a potential therapeutic agent for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.