Tart Cherry Extract and Omega Fatty Acids Reduce Behavioral Deficits, Gliosis, and Amyloid-Beta Deposition in the 5xFAD Mouse Model of Alzheimer's Disease

Zackary Bowers; Panchanan Maiti; Ali Bourcier; Jarod Morse; Kenneth Jenrow; Julien Rossignol; Gary L Dunbar

doi:10.3390/brainsci11111423

Tart Cherry Extract and Omega Fatty Acids Reduce Behavioral Deficits, Gliosis, and Amyloid-Beta Deposition in the 5xFAD Mouse Model of Alzheimer's Disease

Brain Sci. 2021 Oct 27;11(11):1423. doi: 10.3390/brainsci11111423.

Authors

Zackary Bowers^{1

2

3}, Panchanan Maiti^{1

2

3

4

5}, Ali Bourcier³, Jarod Morse³, Kenneth Jenrow^{1

2

4}, Julien Rossignol^{1

4

6}, Gary L Dunbar^{1

2

4

5}

Affiliations

¹ Field Neurosciences Institute Laboratory for Restorative Neurology, Central Michigan University, Mt. Pleasant, MI 58859, USA.
² Program in Neuroscience, Central Michigan University, Mt. Pleasant, MI 48859, USA.
³ College of Health and Human Services, Saginaw Valley State University, University Center, Saginaw, MI 48710, USA.
⁴ Department of Psychology, Central Michigan University, Mt. Pleasant, MI 48859, USA.
⁵ Field Neuroscience Institute Laboratory of Restorative Neurology, Ascension St. Mary's Hospital, Saginaw, MI 48604, USA.
⁶ College of Medicine, Central Michigan University, Mt. Pleasant, MI 48859, USA.

Abstract

Combined treatments using polyphenols and omega fatty acids provide several therapeutic benefits for a variety of age-related disorders, including Alzheimer's disease (AD). Previously, we found a commercial product, Total Body Rhythm (TBR), consisting of tart cherry extract, a potent polyphenol, and omega fatty acids, significantly reduced memory, and neuropathological deficits in the 192 IgG-saporin mouse model of AD. The present study assessed the efficacy of TBR for treating behavioral and neuropathological deficits in the 5xFAD model of AD. Both 6- and 12-month-old 5xFAD mice and age-matched wild-type controls received TBR (60 mg/kg) or the equivalent dose of vehicle (0.5% methylcellulose) via oral administration, every other day for two months. All mice were tested in the open field (OF), novel object recognition (NOR), and the Morris water maze (MWM) tasks. In addition, neuronal morphology, neurodegeneration, Aβ plaque load, and glial activation were assessed. TBR treatment reduced memory deficits in the MWM and NOR tests and lessened anxiety levels in the OF task, mostly in the 6-month-old male mice. TBR also protected against neuron loss, reduced activation of astrocytes and microglia, primarily in 6-month-old mice, and attenuated Aβ deposition. These results suggest that the combination of tart cherry extract and omega fatty acids in TBR can reduce AD-like deficits in 5xFAD mice.

Keywords: 5xFAD; Alzheimer’s disease; antioxidants; inflammation; neurodegeneration; omega fatty acids; total body rhythm.