Nutritional Neuroscience最新文献

{"title":"Global prevalence of metabolic syndrome in patients with epilepsy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.","authors":"Pegah Heidarian, Amir Jalali, Mohsen Kazeminia, Narges Sadeghi, Ebrahim Ezzati, Mohammadrasool Ghasemianrad","doi":"10.1080/1028415X.2026.2667467","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/1028415X.2026.2667467","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>This study aimed to standardize the global prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) in patients with epilepsy.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Several databases including PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, Science Direct, and Google Scholar were thoroughly searched. Studies up to 2025 on MetS prevalence in people with epilepsy were included. The search covered cross-sectional, cohort, and case-control studies in English that reported MetS prevalence in this group. Statistical analysis was performed using Comprehensive Meta-Analysis software (Version 2). The I² statistic was used to assess heterogeneity across studies, and the random-effects model was applied for data analysis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Analysis of 24 findings from 18 studies estimated that the overall prevalence of (MetS) in people with epilepsy was 29.6% (95% CI: 25.7%-33.9%). Further analysis showed that the highest prevalence of MetS in epilepsy patients was in studies conducted in South America, with a prevalence of 42.4% (95% CI: 37.8%-47.0%). The only study that used the Harmonized Criteria diagnostic tool reported the prevalence equal to 49.4% (95% CI: 39.2%-59.7%). Furthermore, a meta-regression analysis found no significant association between the year of publication or the number of participants and the prevalence of MetS in epilepsy patients (<i>P</i> > 0.01).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The results highlighted a high prevalence of MetS among patients with epilepsy. Therefore, healthcare professionals should not only focus on epilepsy but also regularly monitor risk factors associated with MetS and identify them early in patients with epilepsy.</p>","PeriodicalId":19423,"journal":{"name":"Nutritional Neuroscience","volume":" ","pages":"1-13"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-05-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147856863","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of L-theanine-caffeine combination on selective attention among adolescents with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: a double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study.","authors":"Gayani S Nawarathna, Dewasmika I Ariyasinghe, Nilantha Balasooriya, Anshu Fernando, Tharaka L Dassanayake","doi":"10.1080/1028415X.2026.2659148","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/1028415X.2026.2659148","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is characterized by impaired attention. L-theanine, an amino acid in tea, and caffeine, present in tea and coffee, improve attention in healthy adults.</p><p><strong>Aim: </strong>To investigate the acute effects of L-theanine-caffeine combination on selective attention, compared to methylphenidate and placebo, in adolescents with ADHD.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In a double-blind, placebo-controlled, counterbalanced, three-way crossover trial, 21 adolescents with ADHD (age: 10-19 years, 18 boys) performed a computerized visual recognition reaction-time task before and 50 min after each treatment on three separate days. Participants responded to downward-pointing triangles (20% probability) while ignoring upward-pointing triangles (80%). The behavioral outcome measures were hits, false alarms, target-distractor discrimination sensitivity (A'), and hit reaction time. EEG was recorded during the task, and amplitudes and latencies of P3b event-related potentials elicited by targets in centro-parietal electrodes were measured. Pre- and post-dose changes were compared between treatments.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>L-theanine-caffeine combination (<i>P</i> = 0.038) and methylphenidate (<i>P</i> = 0.035) significantly reduced false alarms versus placebo. Hits and A' showed no significant differences (<i>P</i> > 0.05). Only methylphenidate improved reaction time versus placebo (mean difference = 43.89 ms, <i>P</i> = 0.018). L-Theanine-caffeine and methylphenidate counteracted slowing of reaction time over task duration. Compared to placebo, both L-theanine-caffeine and methylphenidate increased P3b amplitudes and decreased latencies (<i>P</i> < 0.05).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>High-dose L-theanine-caffeine combination may enhance neural resource allocation and speed of deployment of selective attention, stabilize reaction speed throughout the task duration and reduce false alarms in adolescents with ADHD, supporting its potential as a nutraceutical adjunct for ADHD.<b>Trial registration:</b> Sri Lanka Clinical Trials Registry identifier: SLCTR/2023/004.</p>","PeriodicalId":19423,"journal":{"name":"Nutritional Neuroscience","volume":" ","pages":"1-14"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-05-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147841066","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Undernutrition in children with cerebral palsy: comparison of anthropometric measures across gross motor function levels.","authors":"Günce Başarır, Sema Bozkaya Yilmaz, Pınar Gençpınar, Nihal Olgaç Dündar","doi":"10.1080/1028415X.2026.2666618","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/1028415X.2026.2666618","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>Nutritional assessment in children with cerebral palsy (CP) remains challenging because growth patterns, body composition, and the feasibility of anthropometric measurements vary according to motor severity. This study aimed to compare anthropometric indicators of undernutrition in children with CP according to Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) levels.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In this observational cross-sectional study, forty-three children with CP aged 2-18 years were evaluated. Patients were grouped as GMFCS I-II-III and IV-V. Anthropometric, demographic, and clinical data were analyzed. Undernutrition was defined using age-specific z-scores for height, weight, body mass index (BMI), mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC), and triceps skinfold thickness (TST) based on 'Centers for Disease Control and Prevention' growth charts. Weight-based undernutrition was also re-evaluated using CP-specific Brooks weight-for-age percentiles in a sensitivity analysis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Undernutrition was identified in 33% of patients based on height-for-age z-scores, 49% based on weight-for-age and BMI z-scores, 47% based on MUAC z-scores, and 28% based on TST z-scores. Children in GMFCS IV-V had significantly lower height-for-age, weight-for-age, and MUAC z-scores than those in GMFCS I-II-III (<i>p</i> = 0.02, <i>p</i> < 0.001, <i>p</i> = 0.02, respectively). BMI z-score identified undernutrition more frequently in GMFCS I-II-III, whereas weight-for-age and MUAC z-scores were more informative in GMFCS IV-V. In sensitivity analysis, the higher rate of low weight in the GMFCS IV-V group was less marked with CP-specific Brooks references.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>Undernutrition is frequent in children with CP, particularly in those with more severe motor impairment. Nutritional risk assessment appears to be method- and reference-dependent, supporting a multidimensional anthropometric approach in clinical practice.</p>","PeriodicalId":19423,"journal":{"name":"Nutritional Neuroscience","volume":" ","pages":"1-9"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-05-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147841128","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The joint effect of variants of genes related to dopamine and serotonin action is associated with food intake in children.","authors":"Mayara Cristina Batista Da Silva, Márcia Regina Vitolo, Paula Dal Bó Campagnolo, Vanessa Suñé Mattevi, Vanessa Feistauer, Edson Cordeiro Do Valle, Silvana Almeida","doi":"10.1080/1028415X.2026.2665392","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/1028415X.2026.2665392","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Obesity is one of the major health issues worldwide. One of the causes for its high prevalence is the exposure to an obesogenic environment, leading to overconsumption of high-palatable food. However, not everyone exposed to an obesogenic environment develops obesity, which means that a genetic background may be involved. Dopamine and serotonin are neurotransmitters intimately involved in hedonic eating, and variants in related genes have been previously associated with food intake. Yet, most of these studies only focus on the individual effect of the variants, which tends to be very little in complex traits like food intake, and fail to capture more complex interactions like gene-gene. In this study, we used partial least squares (PLS) regression to analyze the joint effect of 11 dopamine and/or serotonin-related genetic variants on average daily energy intake of sugar-dense (SDF) and lipid-dense (LDF) foods. The sample comprised 1,074 children from two cohorts, who were observed until the age of six and evaluated at 12 months, three years, and six years of age. In our sample, the explained variance for daily energy intake models ranged from 64.8 to 79.9%, for SDF from 44.0 to 52.4%, and for LDF from 42.7 to 50.3%. Our results demonstrate the contribution of the joint effect of the dopamine and serotonin-related variants on daily energy intake of food. To our knowledge, this is the first study using PLS regression to investigate the influence of the joint effect of genetic variants on complex phenotypes; more studies with this analysis are important for definitive conclusions.</p>","PeriodicalId":19423,"journal":{"name":"Nutritional Neuroscience","volume":" ","pages":"1-11"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-04-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147777348","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Body mass index in the Italian population of patients with Parkinson's disease.","authors":"Michela Barichella, Emanuele Cereda, Carlotta Bolliri, Ioannis U Isaias, Gianni Pezzoli","doi":"10.1080/1028415X.2026.2663039","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/1028415X.2026.2663039","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>Body weight management and nutritional care may have important implications for Parkinson's disease (PD) management, particularly levodopa therapy and related complications. Previous studies have shown differences from the general population and provided discordant findings reasonably related to limitations in the design. We provided an updated picture of body mass index (BMI) status in Italian patients with PD and investigated the potential relationship with and implications for the management of levodopa therapy and related complications.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A large observational study in consecutive patients with idiopathic PD (N = 2116; men, 57.6%). BMI status and clinical data were collected. Standardized prevalence of BMI categories was calculated and compared to the Italian population. Associations with levodopa therapy and related complications were investigated.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>At the population level, the standardized prevalence of BMI categories was similar to the general population. However, women presented lower and higher rates of overweight (21.5% Vs. 27.6%) and normal-weight (60.9% Vs. 56.0%), respectively, while men presented an opposite picture (overweight, 46.5% Vs. 42.0%; normal-weight, 41.1% Vs. 43.9%). Women were characterized by higher dyskinesia and lower OFF periods according to UPDRS-part IV subscores, and they were receiving higher levodopa dosages (mg/kg) independently of BMI status, but BMI status was also associated with levodopa dose and complications.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>BMI status in Italian patients with PD was similar to the general population, but presented sex differences. Women had lower BMI than men. This appeared to be related to higher levodopa dosage and related complications, which highlights the importance of a multidisciplinary approach for the optimization of pharmacological treatment.</p>","PeriodicalId":19423,"journal":{"name":"Nutritional Neuroscience","volume":" ","pages":"1-8"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-04-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147777625","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Nutritional intervention rich in tryptophan enhances sleep duration and reduces wakefulness during breast cancer treatment.","authors":"Henriqueta Vieira Van Keulen, Guilherme Eugênio Van Keulen, Jéssica Pereira Silva, Renato Moreira Nunes, Aline Silva Aguiar","doi":"10.1080/1028415X.2026.2650633","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/1028415X.2026.2650633","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b>Background:</b> Sleep disorders are highly prevalent among women undergoing treatment for breast cancer, often exacerbated by the side effects of chemotherapy. Nutritional strategies using foods rich in tryptophan and precursors of melatonin may help regulate sleep, but evidence in cancer populations remains limited.<b>Objective:</b> To evaluate the effect of a tryptophan-rich dietary intervention on sleep parameters in women undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer.<b>Methods:</b> Fifty women were randomized into a Sleep Diet Group (SDG) that received a tryptophan-rich meal plan (>3000 mg/day) or a Control Group (CG) that received a diet without specific foods to facilitate sleep. Sleep was monitored daily for six weeks using actigraphy (Mi Band 4C®), assessing total sleep time (TST), light sleep, deep sleep and wake after sleep onset (WASO). Fatigue and insomnia severity were assessed before and after the intervention.<b>Results:</b> The SDG had significantly higher TST compared to the CG in weeks 4 and 5 (p = 0.007 and p = 0.010, respectively). WASO was significantly lower in the SDG during weeks 2 and 4 (p = 0.011 and p = 0.035). No significant differences in deep sleep were observed between groups (p = 0.214). Both groups showed subjective improvements in insomnia severity, with no differences between groups. Fatigue scores remained unchanged.<b>Conclusion:</b> A dietary intervention with tryptophan-rich foods improved total sleep time and reduced nighttime awakenings in women undergoing breast cancer treatment. These findings suggest that targeted nutritional strategies may support sleep regulation during chemotherapy.</p>","PeriodicalId":19423,"journal":{"name":"Nutritional Neuroscience","volume":" ","pages":"1-14"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-04-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147777300","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Ketogenic diet modulates gut microbiota composition in an experimental model of cerebral palsy.","authors":"Jakssuel Sebastion Dantas Alves, Nathalia Caroline De Oliveira Melo, Ana Elisa Toscano, Raul Manhães-De-Castro, Clevson Xavier Fraga Filho, José Patrocínio Ribeiro Cruz Neto, José Luiz De Brito Alves, Gisélia De Santana Muniz","doi":"10.1080/1028415X.2026.2656403","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/1028415X.2026.2656403","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Cerebral palsy (CPa) is a neurodevelopmental disorder often accompanied by gastrointestinal dysfunction and dysbiosis of the gut microbiota (GM). The ketogenic diet (KD) has demonstrated neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory properties in neurological diseases, yet its effects on GM in CPa remain poorly understood.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>This study aimed to evaluate the impact of KD on the GM composition in an experimental model of CPa.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Male Wistar rats were assigned to four groups (<i>n</i> = 10) according to healthy status and KD intervention: healthy control (C), healthy ketogenic diet (K), cerebral palsy (P), and cerebral palsy with ketogenic diet (PK). CPa was induced by perinatal anoxia and sensorimotor restriction, and, from postnatal day 25-65, animals received a standard or a KD. Body weight, food, and energy intake were monitored. Fecal samples were collected at day 65 for 16S rRNA sequencing and bioinformatics analyses.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The CPa condition was associated with reduced body weight, decreased food intake, and marked alterations in GM composition, characterized by increased abundance of Proteobacteria, Enterobacteriaceae, and <i>Escherichia-Shigella</i>, along with reduced levels of <i>Bifidobacterium</i> and <i>Lactobacillus</i>. KD intervention in animals with CPa was associated with coordinated shifts in GM structure, including reduced representation of taxa linked to inflammatory profiles and increased abundance of short-chain fatty acid-producing bacterial groups, such as members of the Lachnospiraceae and Ruminococcaceae families.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Overall, these findings suggest that modulation of GM may contribute to the neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory effects of the KD, highlighting GM as a potential therapeutic target for CPa-associated comorbidities.</p>","PeriodicalId":19423,"journal":{"name":"Nutritional Neuroscience","volume":" ","pages":"1-11"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-04-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147777161","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Prebiotics/synbiotics as natural alternatives for brain development and aging - focus on nutrigenomic and direct effects: a systematic review.","authors":"Lilian Vanessa Penha Gonçalves, Pedro Fernandes Gusmão de Holanda, Arthur Vinicius da Silva Cabral, Ricardo Gomes Dos Santos Nunes, Yanka Vitória de Santana Lira, Moara Rodrigues Costa, Ingrid Prata Mendonça, Aline Ananias de Lima, Êndel Alves Gomes de Oliveira, Christina Alves Peixoto, Filipe Silveira Duarte, Belmira Lara da Silveira Andrade-da-Costa","doi":"10.1080/1028415X.2026.2649604","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/1028415X.2026.2649604","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>This review highlights the importance of prebiotics and their combination with probiotics as essential nutrients for brain development and as potential therapeutic alternatives for neurodegenerative diseases. It further highlights the nutrigenomic action of prebiotics or synbiotics.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A literature search of PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science was conducted for studies published from 2010 to 2025. Key search terms included ('prebiotics' OR 'synbiotics)' AND ('brain development' OR 'neurodevelopment' OR 'cognition' OR 'neuroplasticity' OR 'brain aging)' AND ('epigenetics' OR 'nutrigenomics' OR 'gene expression' OR 'DNA methylation' OR 'histone modification' OR 'microRNA)'.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A literature search on the selected databases has identified 503 potentially relevant articles to this topic. After analysis of inclusion and exclusion criteria and duplicated studies, 79 articles (a total of 47 animal <i>in vivo</i> studies, 18 <i>in vitro</i> studies and 13 human studies) have been selected to be reviewed. Despite the importance of prebiotics or synbiotics as a prime source of energy, their diverse direct or indirect mechanisms of action have only recently been described, especially those involving these nutraceuticals as substrates for epigenetic effects.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>The literature shows that further studies are necessary to elucidate mechanisms and strategies for prebiotic intervention in the brain epigenome during brain development, adulthood and aging. Notwithstanding, the current data can help to initiate novel health approaches for treating brain disorders. The development of targeted therapy, using prebiotics or synbiotics as nutrigenomic substrates, seems to restore normal interaction between systemic diseases and brain function.</p>","PeriodicalId":19423,"journal":{"name":"Nutritional Neuroscience","volume":" ","pages":"1-17"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-04-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147777287","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Naringenin ameliorates neuropsychiatric deficits in mice fed a methionine-choline-deficient diet.","authors":"Mohammad-Hadi Sahebi, Mohammad Nasehi, Azam Moslehi, Mohammad-Reza Zarrindast, Mohaddeseh Ebrahimi-Ghiri","doi":"10.1080/1028415X.2026.2641538","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/1028415X.2026.2641538","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Neuropsychiatric dysfunction is increasingly being acknowledged as a disabling complication of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), but there are no therapeutic approaches. We investigated in the present study the neuroprotective effectiveness of naringenin, a citrus flavonoid with known anti-inflammatory and neurotrophic effects, in a murine NASH model induced by an 8-week methionine-choline-deficient (MCD) diet. Male C57BL/6 mice (n = 8/group) were treated with naringenin (50 mg/kg/day, i.p.) during the final 4 weeks. In behavioral tests, naringenin counteracted cognitive impairment in novel object recognition, reduced anxiety in both open field and elevated plus maze paradigms, and decreased immobility in the forced swim test, indicating antidepressant-like activity. Mechanistically, naringenin restored hippocampal apoptotic balance, normalizing the MCD diet-induced <i>Bax</i> upregulation and <i>Bcl2</i> downregulation. Notably, while the MCD diet suppressed both <i>Bdnf</i> and <i>Ntrk2</i> expression, naringenin treatment partially restored <i>Bdnf</i> (but not <i>Ntrk2</i>) mRNA levels, implicating <i>Bdnf</i>-related neuroplasticity in its therapeutic effects. The research highlights naringenin's neuroprotective functions and its multitarget therapeutic potential in the MCD diet model of steatohepatitis, as evidenced by its effects on hippocampal gene expression and behavioral outcomes<i>.</i> Additional studies are needed to validate the effect in clinical settings and establish optimal dosing regimens.</p>","PeriodicalId":19423,"journal":{"name":"Nutritional Neuroscience","volume":" ","pages":"1-13"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-04-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147777228","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Preclinical study of red dragon fruit (<i>Hylocereus polyrhizus</i>) betacyanins in the G93A mutant hSOD1 mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.","authors":"Claudia Pena, Madison K Sinar, Lilia A Koza, Nicole Boehler, Emma Buechler, Alec C Smith, Allie McGarr, Angela N Baybayon-Grandgeorge, McKenna Spaeth Herda, Sydney Jaques, Daniel A Linseman","doi":"10.1080/1028415X.2026.2661760","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/1028415X.2026.2661760","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder characterized by loss of cortical and spinal motor neurons, oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, and mitochondrial dysfunction. Betacyanins, betalain pigments found in red dragon fruit and beetroot, display powerful anti-inflammatory and free-radical scavenging properties which may help ameliorate ALS pathology and slow disease progression. The present study characterized the therapeutic effects of a betacyanin-rich red <u>d</u>ragon <u>f</u>ruit <u>e</u>xtract (DFE) in the G93A mutant hSOD1 transgenic mouse model of ALS. Mice were treated orally with 5% (v/v) DFE in drinking water <i>ad libitum</i>, from disease onset until end-stage. DFE treatment had a statistically significant effect on survival, with an approximate 13-day extension of median lifespan in the treated G93A mutant hSOD1 group. Treatment with DFE also significantly preserved muscle strength and endurance, as assessed by grip strength and rotarod behavioral testing. This was associated with a modest but statistically significant preservation of gastrocnemius muscle weight in the DFE-treated group. Histopathological analyses demonstrated improvements in NMJ size and complexity, an increase in surviving spinal cord motor neurons, and a reduction in spinal cord astrogliosis in G93A mutant hSOD1 mice treated with DFE, when compared to their untreated mutant littermates. Overall, these findings indicate that DFE, or purified betacyanin compounds, should be investigated further as potential therapeutic agents for patients with SOD1-related ALS. Additional preclinical studies in non-SOD1 models of ALS will need to be completed to determine the potential benefit of betacyanin compounds in sporadic ALS.</p>","PeriodicalId":19423,"journal":{"name":"Nutritional Neuroscience","volume":" ","pages":"1-20"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-04-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147729402","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}