Common Names: lowbush blueberry, sweet lowbush blueberry
Researchers administered Memophenol, a polyphenol compound made from French grape and North American blueberry extracts, to rats with Alzheimer's disease (AD) for 30 days. The rats had been administered AlCl and D-galactose for 60 days and showed behavioral alterations and hippocampus neuronal degeneration. Memophenol reduced behavioral alterations and hippocampus neuronal degeneration, lowered phosphorylated Tau levels and APP overexpression, and reduced beta-amyloid buildup. The compound also reduced the pro-oxidative and pro-inflammatory hippocampus changes caused by AD. These findings suggest Memophenol could be a therapeutic option for AD.
A study investigated the neuroprotective effect of wild lowbush blueberry on rats with induced cerebral ischemia and reperfusion. The rats were injected with BBE for 14 days and several parameters were measured. Results showed that BBE significantly decreased oxidative stress levels and increased antioxidant power levels in the hippocampus and serum, while also modulating neuroinflammatory cascades and protecting neurons against ischemic death. The study suggests that BBE may have potent neuroprotective efficacy against cerebral ischemia and reperfusion.
Berries, like blueberries and lingonberries, contain high amounts of polyphenols that act as antioxidants and have potential benefits for brain aging and neurodegenerative disorders. Several studies have shown the beneficial effects of berries in cell and in vivo models of neurodegenerative disease. This review explores the metabolic mechanisms that plants and animals have developed to combat reactive oxygen species, the bioavailability of these compounds in mammals, and the neuroprotective abilities of berries and polyphenols. The researchers found that the leaves of blueberries and lingonberries have a higher antioxidant capacity than the fruits and have demonstrated neuroprotective effects in cellular and animal models.