Lycopene supplementation attenuates oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, and cognitive impairment in aged mice. - GreenMedInfo Summary

Carotenoid pigment lycopene (LYC) possesses several types of properties such as antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective. This study examined the effects of dietary supplementation with LYC on age-induced cognitive impairment, and the potential underlying mechanisms. Behavioral tests revealed that chronic LYC supplementation alleviated age-associated memory loss and cognitive defects. Histological and immunofluorescence staining results indicated that LYC treatment reversed age-associated neuronal damage and synaptic dysfunction in the brain. Additionally, LYC supplementation decreased age-associated oxidative stress via suppression of malondialdehyde levels, which increased glutathione, catalase, and superoxide dismutase activity, and the antioxidant enzymes mRNA levels including heme oxygenase-1 and NAD(P)H: quinone oxidoreductase-1. Furthermore, LYC supplementation significantly reduced age-associated neuroinflammation by inhibiting microgliosis (Iba-1) and downregulating related inflammatory mediators. Moreover, LYC lowered the accumulation of Aβ1-42 in the brains of aged CD-1 mice. Therefore, LYC has the potential for use in the treatment of several age-associated chronic diseases.