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Dietary lutein improves episodic memory in young rats
Author(s) -
Radzanowski Gwendolyn,
Kullen Martin J.,
Berg Brian M.
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.24.1_supplement.742.1
Subject(s) - lutein , zeaxanthin , carotenoid , open field , xanthophyll , endocrinology , food science , medicine , biology
Human milk is considered the ideal source of nutrition for optimal infant development. Lutein is a carotenoid nutrient found in human milk and has recently been added to infant formula. Lutein is a component of human retina, and has also been co‐localized to human brain regions. We have previously reported that lutein significantly increases the length of neurites on rat primary hippocampal neurons. The purpose of this work was to determine if this morphological effect of lutein is associated with an enhancement of cognitive function. Here, we report the impact of early postnatal dietary lutein on rat open‐field behavior and novel object recognition. Weanling Long‐Evans rats were fed AIN‐93G based diets formulated to contain 0 mg/kg lutein, 2.5 mg/kg lutein, or 250 mg/kg lutein for 36 days. Diet treatments were blinded to the investigators and behaviors were quantified by automated video tracking software (Noldus). No significant differences were observed between treatment groups on any open‐field behavioral outcomes, suggesting no motor or anxiety related effects due to diet. Importantly, 48 hours after acquisition of two identical objects, rats fed 250 mg/kg lutein spent significantly more time investigating the novel object (p=0.01) while rats fed 0 or 2.5 mg/kg diet did not show novel object recognition (p=0.97 and p=0.84 respectively). These data suggest that dietary lutein improves episodic memory in rats.