Abstract
Dementia and cognitive impairment have become the major concerns worldwide due to a significantly aging population, increasing life span and lack of effective pharmacotherapy. In light of limited pharmaceutical drug choices and the socioeconomic implications of these conditions, the search for safe and effective alternatives from natural sources has gained many attractions within the medical food and dietary supplement industry. Two polyphenol extracts derived from roots of Scutellaria baicalensis and heartwoods of Acacia catechu containing free-B-ring flavonoids and flavans, respectively, were combined into a proprietary blend called UP326. A similar bioflavonoid composition, UP446, has been reported with modulation of pathways related to systemic inflammation. To test the effect of UP326 on memory and learning, a radial arm water maze (RAWM) and contextual fear conditioning (CF) were utilized in aged F344 rats fed with UP326 at doses of 3, 7, and 34 mg/kg for 11 weeks. The 7 and 34 mg/kg dosage groups had significantly fewer errors than aged vehicle control animals and their performance was equivalent to young animal controls. In a separate human clinical trial, test subjects orally given 300 mg of UP326 BID for 30 days showed marked improvement in speed and accuracy of processing complex information in computer tasks and reduced their standard deviation of performance compared to baseline and the placebo group. This data suggest that UP326 may help maintain memory, sustain speed of processing, and reduce the number or memory errors as we age.
Highlights
There is a growing interest in alternative medicine and use of dietary or nutritional supplements that have a variety of putative beneficial activities, including weight loss, athletic performance, general health, and cognition
Aging and oxidative stress are associated with declines in hippocampal processing of information [6,7,8] as demonstrated by the deficits seen in spatial learning, memory formation, and the decline in long term potentiation that is necessary for memory consolidation
Multiple reports have identified a correlation between COX-2 expression, reduction in eicosanoid production, systemic inflammation (i.e., TNFα, MIP1-α, and IL-1β expression), and the pathogenesis of AD leading to loss in memory and speed of information processing in specific animal models [9, 10]
Summary
There is a growing interest in alternative medicine and use of dietary or nutritional supplements that have a variety of putative beneficial activities, including weight loss, athletic performance, general health, and cognition. By suppressing COX-2 production and reducing the proinflammatory prostaglandin PGE2, the surrounding neurons will be spared from the oxidative stress and inflammatory insult that would be generated by activated microglia [10]. Dietary supplements enriched in polyphenols, individually and in combination, may provide substantial benefits including neuroprotection from oxidative and inflammatory insults and improve neuronal functions. In this regard, flavonoids from Scutellaria baicalensis have been found to attenuate learning and memory impairment and improve cognitive function in Alzheimer’s disease models. When Sprague-Dawley-derived cortical cells were exposed to cyanide, inclusion of Scutellaria flavonoids attenuated oxidative stress-induced apoptosis of cortical neurons [15] These antioxidant effects of Scutellaria flavonoids may prevent neuronal loss induced by amyloid betapeptide. A preliminary pilot human clinical study was carried out to assess the impact of the composition on speed and accuracy of processing complex information
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
