Effects of Indian Gooseberry Fruit on Anxiety-Related Behaviors and Memory Performance in High-fat Diet-induced Obese Mice

Abstract

Indian gooseberry (Phyllanthus emblica L.) is widely used in Ayurvedic medicine, traditional Chinese medicine, as well as traditional medicine to treat health complications including disorders of diabetes and obesity. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of Indian gooseberry fruit on anxiety-related behaviors and memory performance in high-fat diet-induced obese mice. C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into four groups (n = 11 pre group); group 1: normal diet control, 2: normal diet treated with Indian gooseberry fruit juice, 3: high-fat diet control, and 4: high-fat diet treated with Indian gooseberry fruit juice. Each mouse was orally and daily administrated with 5mL/kg of Indian gooseberry fruit juice. After six weeks, all groups were tested for blood glucose levels, anxiety and memory performances, and the level of interleukin 6 (IL-6) in the hippocampus. The results revealed that the treatment with Indian gooseberry juice for six weeks produced a significant decrease in blood glucose levels (P <0.05). In anxiety-related behaviors, Indian gooseberry juice showed a remarkable decrease in selfgrooming behavior (P <0.001). In addition, there was a significant increase in memory performance in the high-fat diet treated with Indian gooseberry fruit juice compared to the high-fat diet control (P <0.05). Furthermore, the level of inflammatory cytokine IL-6 in the hippocampus was significantly decreased after oral administration of Indian gooseberry fruit juice (P <0.05). These findings suggest that Indian gooseberry fruit can serve as a natural nutritional treatment for preventing high-fat diet-induced cognitive impairment.