Abstract Summary/Description
Objective: High-fat, high-sugar, and high-salt (HFHSS) diets contribute to cognitive decline and neuroinflammation, highlighting the needs for dietary interventions to support brain health. Blueberries (BB), rich in anthocyanins, have shown promise in improving cognitive function and reducing oxidative stress. This study examines the effects of BB supplementation on cognitive function and neuroprotection in mice fed a HFHSS diet. Methods: UM-HET3 male mice were fed a low-fat, low-sugar, low-salt (LFLSS) diet with or without BB (5% w/w) for four weeks. Mice were then switched to a HFHSS diet (n=9) or remained in the LFLSS diet while LFLSS + BB were switched to a HFHSS + BB (n=9) for 12 weeks. Behavioral tests included Novel Object Recognition (NOR) at week 9, Barnes Maze at weeks 10–12, and Fear Conditioning at weeks 14–15. Results: HFHSS + BB group showed no significant differences in freezing time, freezing episodes, or latency compared to the other groups (p>0.05). However, a trend toward fear extinction was observed in the BB group, indicated by shorter freezing episodes (p>0.05). Conclusion: While BB supplementation did not significantly alter behavior in the HFHSS diet model, it may have a modest impact on fear extinction. NOR and Barnes Maze data analyses is underway as is hippocampal protein expression analyses for oxidative stress and inflammatory markers. Keywords: Blueberry supplementation, cognitive function, anthocyanins, UM-HET3 mice, high-fat diet, BDNF.
