Protective Effect of Boric Acid on Oxidative Damage and Cognitive Function in Aging Modeled Rats

Abstract

Objective: Aging is a degenerative process. Therefore, the background of our study is to evaluate the effects of boron, one of the important underground resources in Türkiye, on aging and related diseases. This study aimed to assess the antioxidant effect and the cognitive functions of boric acid (BA) in a D-galactose (D-gal)-induced aging model. Methods: Eight male Wistar rats, each 12 weeks old, were split into four groups at random: control, D-gal, BA and D-gal+BA. An experimental aging model was induced by a single subcutaneous injection of D-gal (150 mg/kg/day), and BA (100 mg/kg/day) was administered by oral gavage for 12 weeks. The novel object recognition test (NORT) and Morris water maze (MWM) were used to evaluate the cognitive ability of rats. Results: At the end of the experimental period, glutathione (GSH) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were assessed in serum and brain tissue. The treatment of D-gal induced aging rats with BA significantly decreased the MDA level (p<0.05) and increased the GSH level, although the increase was not significant. Moreover, NORT and MWM tests showed that BA significantly improved (p<0.05) cognitive deficits in D-Gal + BA treated rats. Conclusions: BA prevents D-gal-induced memory deficit by decreasing oxidative stress. Hence, BA was a good candidate for addressing age-related neurodegenerative disorders and cognitive function improvements.