Abstract
Berryfruit consumption has been shown to improve aspects of cognition in humans, and may protect against age-related cognitive decline via antioxidant mechanisms. This study investigated whether short-term supplementation with New Zealand 'Blackadder' blackcurrant (BC) juice supports spatial learning and memory in healthy young adult Sprague Dawley rats. Male rats (n = 24) received BC juice (n = 12; 5.4 mg/kg polyphenols) or a sugar-matched placebo (n = 12) prior to each daily trial during a four-day Morris Water Maze (MWM) acquisition phase and a probe trial on day five. BC supplementation significantly reduced cumulative distance (p = 0.020) and latency (p = 0.030) to the platform. In the probe trial, the trends showed that BC-supplemented rats spent more time in the platform zone. These improvements corresponded with detectable plasma anthocyanins, and trends toward higher hippocampal superoxide dismutase activity (p = 0.028, p(a) = 0.140) and lower circulating corticosterone (p = 0.052, p(a) = 0.228) in the BC group. These results suggest that BC phytochemicals may support spatial learning and memory. Mechanisms of effect may occur through specific antioxidant-mediated neuroprotective pathways and/or modulation of aspects of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis.