Costa Miranda Pires Dâmaris, da Silva Moraes Alberto
Department of Cell Biology, Histology and Embryology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Federal University of Uberlandia, Brazil.
Nutr Health. 2025 Sep;31(3):1147-1156. doi: 10.1177/02601060241281765. Epub 2024 Sep 28.
Mild cognitive decline, a common issue in aging, affects memory, learning, and attention. Nutrition can influence cognition, and research indicates that (holy basil and sweet basil) leaf extracts may enhance cognition in rodents and humans. However, these studies do not address whether these benefits extend to fresh or dry leaves consumed in typical human diets, along with physiological aging. To investigate the effects of sweet basil supplementation on cognition in mature and aged female mice. Female C57bl mice were divided into four groups: 8-month-old mature adults and 18-month-old aged adults, each receiving either a control or supplemented diet. The supplemented diet included a mix of standard chow and fresh basil leaves, administered for 2-8 months. Cognitive and behavioral assessments were conducted using the novel object recognition (NOR), Morris water maze (MWM), and elevated plus maze (EPM) tasks, focusing on memory, learning, and anxiety. No cognitive improvement was observed in mature mice. However, aged mice receiving long-term basil supplementation showed enhanced discrimination in NOR and stayed closer to the absent platform in MWM compared to nonsupplemented controls. While aging mice exhibited reduced anxiety-like behavior in EPM, basil supplementation prevented this reduction. Basil supplementation appears beneficial in elderly mice, potentially preventing age-related cognitive decline and behavioral changes. These findings support the benefits of basil consumption in cognition and underscore its potential role in promoting healthy aging. Incorporating basil into the diet at a younger age may preserve memory and mitigate behavioral changes as individuals age.
轻度认知衰退是衰老过程中的常见问题，会影响记忆、学习和注意力。营养会影响认知，研究表明（圣罗勒和甜罗勒）叶提取物可能会增强啮齿动物和人类的认知能力。然而，这些研究并未探讨这些益处是否适用于人类日常饮食中食用的新鲜或干叶，以及与生理衰老的关系。为了研究补充甜罗勒对成熟和老年雌性小鼠认知的影响。将雌性C57bl小鼠分为四组：8个月大的成熟成年小鼠和18个月大的老年成年小鼠，每组分别接受对照饮食或补充饮食。补充饮食包括标准饲料和新鲜罗勒叶的混合物，持续喂食2 - 8个月。使用新物体识别（NOR）、莫里斯水迷宫（MWM）和高架十字迷宫（EPM）任务进行认知和行为评估，重点关注记忆、学习和焦虑。在成熟小鼠中未观察到认知改善。然而，与未补充的对照组相比，长期接受罗勒补充的老年小鼠在NOR中表现出更强的辨别能力，并且在MWM中更靠近缺失的平台。虽然衰老小鼠在EPM中表现出焦虑样行为减少，但罗勒补充可防止这种减少。罗勒补充似乎对老年小鼠有益，可能预防与年龄相关的认知衰退和行为变化。这些发现支持食用罗勒对认知有益，并强调其在促进健康衰老方面的潜在作用。在年轻时将罗勒纳入饮食可能会在个体衰老时保留记忆并减轻行为变化。
