Effect of Ginseng (Panax ginseng) Berry EtOAc Fraction on Cognitive Impairment in C57BL/6 Mice under High-Fat Diet Inducement

Abstract

High-fat diet-induced obesity leads to type 2 diabetes. Recently, there has been growing apprehension about diabetes-associated cognitive impairment (DACM). The effect of ginseng (Panax ginseng) berry ethyl acetate fraction (GBEF) on mice with high-fat diet-induced cognitive impairment was investigated to confirm its physiological function. C57BL/6 mice were fed a high-fat diet for 5 weeks and then a high-fat diet with GBEF (20 and 50 mg/kg of body weight) for 4 weeks. After three in vivo behavioral tests (Y-maze, passive avoidance, and Morris water maze tests), blood samples were collected from the postcaval vein for biochemical analysis, and whole brains were prepared for an ex vivo test. A method based on ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) accurate-mass quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (Q-TOF/MS) was used to determine major ginsenosides. GBEF decreased the fasting blood glucose levels of high-fat diet-induced diabetes mellitus (DM) mice and improved hyperglycemia. Cognitive behavior tests were examined after setting up the DM mice. The in vivo experiments showed that mice treated with GBEF exhibited more improved cognitive behavior than DM mice. In addition, GBEF effectively inhibited the acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels of DM mice brain tissues. Q-TOF UPLC/MS analyses of GBEF showed that ginsenoside Re was the major ginsenoside.