Ergothioneine improves cognitive function through ameliorating mitochondrial damage and decreasing neuroinflammation in a d-galactose-induced aging model

Abstract

Ergothioneine (EGT) is a sulfur-containing amino acid with strong antioxidant activity. In this study, a d-galactose induced mice aging model was used to investigate the anti-aging effects of EGT. EGT intervention could significantly improve the recognition memory of aging mice. Additionally, it improved d-galactose induced decrease of number of neurones, enhanced the levels of cAMP and BDNF in the brain, and increased the density and expression of PSD95 in aging mice. Meanwhile, EGT could attenuate oxidative stress by reducing the content of MDA and enhancing T-SOD activity via the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway. In addition, EGT could alleviate mitochondria function by regulating AMPK/SIRT1/PGC-1α pathway, which in turn attenuated d-galactose induced hippocampal neuronal injury and improved the learning and memory abilities in mice. This study provides a potential dietary strategy to improve age-induced memory impairment.