Studies show that Apple compounds may promote neurogenesis and improve brain function

Natural compounds in apples and other fruits stimulate the production of new brain cells that can affect learning and memory, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Queensland and the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases. May be useful for. Their studies in cultured cells and live mice have shown that quercetin, the most abundant flavanol compound in apple skin, is neurogenesis-promoting, along with other compounds found in apples. The results of their research are Stem cell report, Suggests that these natural fruit compounds may act synergistically to promote neurogenesis and brain function when given in high concentrations.

In their treatise, “Apple skin and pulp contain neurogenic compoundsThe team, led by Tara Louise Walker of the University of Queensland, PhD and Gerd Kempermann of the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, concluded: “This study shows that both flavonoids and 3,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid are professional. It not only activates progenitor cell proliferation, but also cell cycle termination, cell survival, and nerves. It is also neurogenic by promoting differentiation. “

In addition to being an energy source, researchers have pointed out that food is known to affect an individual’s overall health. “More and more studies are demonstrating the health benefits of phytochemicals, which are chemicals in plants.” Therefore, as the author commented, the advocacy “One apple a day is a doctor.” “Keep away” may actually have biological truth. In fact, phytonutrients such as red grape resveratrol and green tea epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) are compounds that have been shown to have positive effects on various parts of the body, including the brain. ..

Active dietary compounds are essential for maintaining cognitive function, they continued. “Adult hippocampal neurogenesis is a particular form of brain plasticity in which functional neurons are generated throughout life and integrated into existing circuits, thereby mediating certain forms of learning and memory.” Flavonoids, a phytonutrient found in hippocampus and vegetables, can regulate molecular signaling pathways that affect these cognitive processes, the team continued.

Given that this is one of the most widely consumed fruits in the world, Walker, Kemperman et al. Have found that this fruit contains substances that may maintain or promote adult hippocampal neurogenesis. I was interested in finding out if it was. They first examined quercetin, the most abundant flavonoid in apple skins, and then expanded their research to identify other neurogenic factors in apples.

The results of their study confirmed that high concentrations of phytonutrients from apples stimulate the production of new neurons. In the experiment, laboratory-grown stem cells from the brains of adult mice produce more neurons, and the addition of the phytonutrient quercetin or another compound, dihydroxybenzoic acid (DHBA), protects against cell death. It was shown to be done. “… These findings indicate that quercetin can act prone to neurogenesis in the presence of growth factor, which normally keeps neural progenitor cells (NPCs) undifferentiated and proliferative in vitro. “They write. “We also used a bioassay-based fractionation approach to identify additional neurogenic compounds in apple pulp that are unrelated to flavonoids … 3,5-DHBA may not only increase NPCs. understood [neural precursor cell] It increases the maturation rate of these neonatal cells as well as proliferation and neurogenesis. “

Subsequent tests in mice have shown that administration of high doses of quercetin or DHBA to mice causes stem cells to proliferate and produce more neurons in different structures of the adult brain associated with learning and memory. I did. The effects on neurogenesis were comparable to those seen after exercise, a known stimulus for neurogenesis.

In their report, the team found that the effects of quercetin on factors such as survival and differentiation of adult hippocampal NPCs, both ex vivo and in vivo, were similar to those previously reported for compounds such as resveratrol and EGCG. I showed that I was there. “Therefore, these natural compounds, which are abundant in widely consumed fruits and vegetables, may have beneficial effects on neurogenesis and brain function as part of a wider range of environmental impacts,” they said. Concluded.

Future research is needed to determine whether these and other phytonutrients can enhance learning and cognitive function in animal models and humans.