Table 1.
Effects of diet on brain plasticity and cognition in animal studies from 2010 onwards.
| Model | Dietary factor | Intervention | Cellular and molecular mechanisms | Effects on behavior | Conclusion/proposed mechanism | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5-week-old male Wistar rats | EPA-E | 1.0 mg/g/day for 8 weeks via gavage | ↑LTP in CA1, ↑hippocampal p85α | N/A | EPA exerts neuroprotective effects via synaptic plasticity enhancement | [176] |
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| 4-month-old obese and nonobese male Wistar rats | 60% CR | 10 weeks | ↑hippocampal NR2A and NR2B levels in CR obese rats; ↓MDA levels in all CR groups | N/A | CR prevents oxidative stress, protecting NMDAR subunits 2A and 2B in obese rats which can result in ↑LTP and synaptic plasticity | [49] |
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| 3-month-old female California mice | 80% CR | 8 weeks in SD or LD photoperiod | No CR-induced changes in hippocampal synapsin I or GFAP | ↓performance in LD mice in reversal learning (Barnes maze) | Effects of CR on spatial learning are photoperiod dependent | [48] |
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| 6-month-old BCKO mice | 70% CR | 5 weeks | ↓LTP in CR controls but not in BCKO | ↑memory and ↓aggressiveness in CR controls but not in BCKO | CR effects depend on CREB-1 by its regulation of sirtuin transcription in neuronal cells | [46] |
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| 12–14-week-old male SHRSP rats | 70% CR | 28 days or 28 days of CR + EX training |
↑hippocampal BDNF in CR + EX rats |
↑cognition (MWM) in CR + EX rats |
CR + EX act synergistically to upregulate BDNF and prevent cognitive decline in SHRSP rats | [51] |
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| ~3-month-old male Sprague-Dawley rats | IF or ADX + IF or IF + KA or ADX + IF + KA |
14 weeks | ↓CA2/CA3 cell loss by IF and ADX + IF after KA insult; ↑BDNF and pCREB in ADX + IF only |
Attenuated KA-induced learning deficit in a T-maze task by ADX + IF | IF protects hippocampal neurons against KA insult; IF effects are ↑under lower levels of CORT | [107] |
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| 10–12-week-old male C57BL/6 mice; CGRP−/− mice | RES | 20 mg/L orally administered once daily for 3 weeks | ↑hippocampal CGRP, IGF-I and IGF-I mRNA; ↑angiogenesis and AHN; no effects in CGRP−/− mice | ↑spatial learning (MWM); no effects on CGRP−/− mice | RES stimulates sensory neurons in the GI tract, ↑IGF-I production and promoting angiogenesis and AHN, thereby ↑cognition | [132] |
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| 38-month-old male grey mouse lemurs | 70% CR or RES | 70% CR or RES (200 mg/kg/day) for 18 months | N/A directly; similar levels of serum CORT | ↑working memory (CSA); ↑spatial performance (CPT) only in RES group | CR and RES seem to induce similar benefits on cognitive functions in an adult primate by probably activating striatoprefrontal circuits and hippocampus | [134] |
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| 10-week-old male Wistar rats | Blueberry | 2% for 7 weeks | Activation of ERK1/2; ↑CREB; ↑pro- and mBDNF in the hippocampus; ↑BDNF mRNA in the DG and CA1 |
↑spatial learning in a delayed nonmatch task (8-arm maze) | Flavonoid-rich blueberries ↑spatial learning in young healthy rats, likely through activation of ERK-CREB-BDNF pathway in the hippocampus | [128] |
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| 8-week-old male Wistar rats | Flavonoids | 8.7 mg/day or 17.4 mg/day for 3 weeks | ↑PSA-NCAM in the DG and NMDA-NR2B in the hippocampus; ↑ERK/CREB/BDNF signaling, and ↑activation of the Akt/mTOR/Arc pathway | ↑spatial memory acquisition and consolidation | Flavonoid-induced improvements in learning and memory might involve upregulation of PSA-NCAM and NMDA-NR2B | [129] |
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| 10-week-old C57BL/6J female mice and PND19 male offspring | ALA or ALA-def | Gestation and/or lactation | ALA during gestation + lactation ↑cell proliferation and neuronal differentiation in the DG of PND19; ALA-def ↑apoptosis | N/A | ALA is required in both fetal and postnatal stages for enhanced AHN in offspring | [177] |
Effects of different proneural plasticity dietary interventions (CR, IF, and polyphenolic/fatty acid supplementation) on brain function and cognition in recent animal studies (2010 onwards). ADX: adrenalectomy; ALA: α-linolenic acid; BCKO: brain CREB knockout mice; BDNF: brain-derived neurotrophic factor; CGRP: calcitonin gene-related peptide; CORT: corticosterone; CR: calorie restriction; CREB: cAMP responsive-element binding; CSA: continuous spontaneous alternation task; DG: dentate gyrus; EPA-E: ethyl eicosapentaenoic acid; ERK 1/2: extracellular signal-related kinase 1/2; EX: exercise training; GI: gastrointestinal tract; IF: intermittent fasting; IGF-I: insulin-like growth factor-I; KA: kainic acid; LD: long day; LTP: long-term potentiation; mBDNF: mature form of BDNF; MDA: malondialdehyde; MWM: Morris water maze; N/A: not assessed; NMDAR: N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor; p-CREB: phosphorylated CREB; proBDNF: precursor form of BDNF; PSA-NCAM: polysialylated neural cell adhesion molecule; RES: resveratrol; SD: short day; SHRSP: stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats.