Women with estrogen deficiency are at the risk of suffering from neurological symptoms such as memory impairment. In the present study, we investigated the effect of garlic, Allium sativum L. (Asparagales: Amaryllidaceae), treated with subcritical water on memory impairment in ovariectomized (OVX) rats. OVX rats were administered garlic powder for 84 d. Hippocampus-dependent spatial memory was assessed using the Morris water maze test. Escape latency of the OVX rats increased compared with that of sham-operated rats. The prolonged escape latency of the OVX rats decreased to the level of that of sham-operated rats upon the administration of garlic powder (0.5% in feed). The weights of the body, uterus, and brain were not affected by the garlic powder administration. These results suggest that garlic powder treated with subcritical water mitigates memory impairment in OVX rats.
Keywords: depression; garlic; memory impairment; postmenopausal syndrome; rat; subcritical water.