Allium saralicum M. Fritsch extract improves cognitive function in male rats with streptozotocin-induced diabetes cognitive impairment.

OBJECTIVE: The chronic metabolic disease diabetes mellitus (DM) dramatically increases the risk of mental illness and cognitive decline. Allium saralicum M. Fritsch (ASRMF) has demonstrated antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective properties. This study aimed to investigate the effects of ASRMF on memory impairment, Insulin-like growth factor 1(IGF-1) expression, and inflammation in a streptozotocin (STZ)-induced model of cognitive dysfunction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Male Wistar rats were randomly divided into five groups (n = 7): Control, Sham, STZ, ASRMF extract, and STZ+ASRMF. Memory impairment and hypoglycemia were induced following a single intraperitoneal injection of STZ (60 mg/kg). Twenty-eight days later, animals in the treated groups received oral administration of ASRMF extract (250 mg/kg) daily for 15 consecutive days. Hyperglycemia confirmation occurred through blood glucose measurements on days 3 and 28 post-inductions, and at the end of the experiment in all groups. Spatial learning and memory performance was evaluated using the Morris water maze (MWM). Brain tissue was fixed in formalin and analyzed via immunohistochemical staining to assess IGF-1 and NF-κB levels. RESULTS: Our results demonstrated that ASRMF extract treatment significantly improved memory performance, which correlated with increased IGF-1 expression and reduced NF-κB in the hippocampus and blood glucose levels. These findings suggest that ASRMF exerts a neuroprotective effect in the diabetic rat model, likely through its anti-inflammatory properties. CONCLUSION: This study underscores the therapeutic potential of ASRMF in alleviating cognitive impairment associated with diabetes mellitus. However, further investigations are warranted to elucidate the precise mechanisms underlying its neuroprotective effects.