Açai pulp improves cognition and insulin sensitivity in obese mice

ABSTRACT

Scope

Obesity and insulin resistance constitute risk factors for the development of tauopathies and other neurodegenerative diseases. (Poly)phenol compounds are under study for its role in protecting effects against neural injuries and degeneration. Here, we investigated the effect of Amazonian açai pulp (AP) intake in the prevention of memory and cognitive impairment resulting from a high-fat diet intake in mice.

Methods and results

Obesity and insulin resistance was induced with a high-fat diet and supplemented with 2% AP to investigate peripheral insulin resistance, recognition memory and tau protein stability via AKT/GSK3-β signaling pathway. The consumption of AP for 70 days improved peripheral insulin sensitivity and phosphorylation of AKT/GSK3-β in mice hippocampi. The animals fed high-fat diets supplemented with AP showed better performance in the novel object recognition test (NOR) in comparison to the H group. Catalase activity and reduced glutathione (GSH) values were improved in the treated mice.

Conclusions

These results suggest that the supplementation of AP can attenuate the effects of high-fat diet consumption in peripheral insulin resistance and improve cognitive behavior.

GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

KEYWORDS:

• Anthocyanins
• cognition
• Euterpe sp
• neurodegeneration
• obesity
• tauopathies
• hippocampus
• Açai

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

The authors confirm that the data supporting the findings of this study are available within the article and its supplementary materials.

Additional information

Funding

The authors thank Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) (Finance Code 001); Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) (#403328/2016-0; #301496/2019-6) and Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) (#2015/50333-1; 2018/11069-5; 2015_13320-9). MACH is a Researcher Fellow from CNPq (#310111/2016-4). MRMJ acknowledges Red Iberomericana de Alimentos Autoctonos Subutilizados (ALSUB-CYTED, 118RT0543). NMS received a studentship from CNPq to support her MSci. project.

Notes on contributors

Nathalia Medina dos Santos

Nathalia Medina dos Santos holds a master's degree in Food and Nutrition from the Faculty of Food Engineering (FEA) at Unicamp (2018). She is currently a doctoral student in the graduate program in Food and Nutrition at FEA/Unicamp, where she conducts research aimed at studying the prevention of the deleterious effects of obesity on cognition through bioactive compounds.

Ângela Giovana Batista

Ângela Giovana Batista is an adjunct professor at the Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Campus Governador Valadares and co-advisor in the graduate program at the State University of Campinas. In addition, he has specialized in Sports Nutrition and Physical Exercise.

Monique Culturato Padilha Mendonça

Monique Culturato Padilha Mendonça is a researcher at University College Cork (Ireland), developing projects in the areas of Neuroscience, Nanomedicine and Nanotoxicology with a focus on the development of new pharmacological therapies and pre-clinical trials (rodents).

Célio Fernando Figueiredo Angolini

Célio Fernando Figueiredo Angolini is a Professor at the Federal University of ABC (UFABC), where the main line of research is focused on the use of chemical ecology and mass spectrometry in studies of interaction between microorganisms and plants, with emphasis on the search for microbiological control agents.

Renato Grimaldi

Renato Grimaldi is Researcher at the Oils and Fats Laboratory at the Faculty of Food Engineering (FEA), UNICAMP.

Glaucia Maria Pastore

Glaucia Maria Pastore is Full Professor at the Faculty of Food Engineering at the State University of Campinas (FEA/UNICAMP). Works in the area of Food Science and Technology with an emphasis on Food Science.

César Renato Sartori

César Renato Sartori is Professor at the Department of Structural and Functional Biology at the Institute of Biology at the State University of Campinas UNICAMP.

Maria Alice da Cruz-Höfling

Maria Alice da Cruz-Höfling is Full Professor in Histology (Institute of Biology - State University of Campinas). Line of research: Poisons and Toxins in Biological Systems, mainly in the Neuromuscular Junction and in the Blood-Brain Barrier

Mário Roberto Maróstica Júnior

Mário Roberto Maróstica Júnior is undergraduated in Food Engineering (University of Campinas, 2002), PhD in Food Science (University of Campinas, 2006), PhD stay at Leibniz Universitât Hannover, Germany, in 2004 and Research stay at Lund University, Sweden, in 2009. Nowadays, Dr. Maróstica-Junior is Associate Professor at University of Campinas, and works with the biological role of bioactive compounds, including phenolic compounds, lipids and prebiotics.