Skip to content
DraconiticResearch
Search Sources API
203,203 studies31 sourcesUpdated 43 min ago
Peer-reviewedCC BY-NC-ND 4.0NPJ Science of Food

Dietary proanthocyanidins ameliorate age-related cognitive decline and neuroinflammation in thyroxine-induced accelerated aging-like mice via the gut microbiota-SCFAs-5-HTP axis

  • Chong Yuan1,2,3
  • Na Wang1,2,3
  • Kunmiao He1,2,3
  • Tiantian Xu2,3
  • Hanshuo Wang2,3
  • Hongtao Ren2,3
  • Shuangjuan Xue1
  • Qiuying Yu1,2,3
  • Linlin Chen1,2,3
  • Gaiping Zhang1,2,4
4 affiliations
  1. 1International Joint Research Center of National Animal lmmunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China
  2. 2Longhu Laboratory, Zhengzhou, China
  3. 3Zhengzhou Key Laboratory of Nutrition and Health Food, College of Food Science and Technology, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China
  4. 4School of Advanced Agriculture Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
Read full textPDFDOICite

Abstract

Age-related cognitive impairment is a major public health concern associated with neuroinflammation and gut microbiota dysbiosis. Proanthocyanidins (PC), a class of dietary polyphenols, have been suggested to modulate the gut–brain axis. Here, we investigated the mechanisms by which PC alleviate cognitive deficits in a thyroxine-induced accelerated aging-like mouse model. PC supplementation significantly improved spatial learning and memory, as assessed by the Morris water maze. These effects were accompanied by modulation of gut microbiota composition and altered fecal short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), particularly butyrate and propionate. PC also improved intestinal barrier function, increased colonic tryptophan hydroxylase 1 (TPH1) expression, and regulated 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP)/serotonin (5-HT)-related pathways. In parallel, hippocampal neuroinflammatory responses were attenuated. Collectively, these findings suggest that the neuroprotective effects of PC are associated with a gut microbiota–SCFAs–5-HTP/5-HT axis. This study highlights the potential of dietary proanthocyanidins as a nutritional strategy for mitigating cognitive impairment under thyroxine-induced accelerated aging-like conditions.

Related

  1. TMAO at the Crossroads of the Gut–Brain Axis: Emerging Mechanisms Linking Microbiota-Derived Metabolites to Neuroinflammation and Cognitive Dysfunction
    Aseel Y. Altahrawi, Fatimah Sofi, Zara Kanjwal +1
    CellsPeer-reviewedCC BY 4.0Full textMolecular biology & gene regulationCrossrefEurope PMC
  2. Akkermansia muciniphila Ameliorates Midlife Obesity-Induced Cognitive Impairment via the Microbiota-Metabolism-Neuroinflammation Axis
    Xiaomei Bian, Jiaqi Cao, Anrui He +3
    International Journal of Molecular SciencesPeer-reviewedCC BY 4.0Full textMolecular biology & gene regulationCrossrefEurope PMC
  3. Paeonidin- and Cyanidin-Rich Fractions Ameliorate Gut Microbiota and Serum Metabolites in Rats with Type 2 Diabetes
    Chenchen Li, Shuying Zhao, Wei Mi +2
    NutrientsPeer-reviewedCC BY 4.0Molecular biology & gene regulationCrossref
  4. CX3CL1/CX3CR1-Mediated Neuron–Microglia Crosstalk Contributes to Methamphetamine-Induced Neuroinflammation and Cognitive Impairment
    International journal of molecular sciencesPeer-reviewedCC BYFull textGeneral biochemistryEurope PMC
  5. Gut Microbiota as a Mechanistic Nexus between Type 2 Diabetes and Alzheimer’s Disease: Insulin Resistance, Neuroinflammation, and Functional Food Strategies
    Yun-Jung Bae, James W. Daily, Sunmin Park
    Preventive Nutrition and Food SciencePeer-reviewedCC BY-NC 4.0Full textMolecular biology & gene regulationPMCEurope PMC

Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{yuan2026dietary,
  title = {{Dietary proanthocyanidins ameliorate age-related cognitive decline and neuroinflammation in thyroxine-induced accelerated aging-like mice via the gut microbiota-SCFAs-5-HTP axis}},
  author = {Chong Yuan and Na Wang and Kunmiao He and Tiantian Xu and Hanshuo Wang and Hongtao Ren and Shuangjuan Xue and Qiuying Yu and Linlin Chen and Gaiping Zhang},
  journal = {NPJ Science of Food},
  year = {2026},
  month = jul,
  doi = {10.1038/s41538-026-00993-3},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1038/s41538-026-00993-3},
  note = {CC BY-NC-ND 4.0},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Dietary proanthocyanidins ameliorate age-related cognitive decline and neuroinflammation in thyroxine-induced accelerated aging-like mice via the gut microbiota-SCFAs-5-HTP axis
AU  - Chong Yuan
AU  - Na Wang
AU  - Kunmiao He
AU  - Tiantian Xu
AU  - Hanshuo Wang
AU  - Hongtao Ren
AU  - Shuangjuan Xue
AU  - Qiuying Yu
AU  - Linlin Chen
AU  - Gaiping Zhang
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/07/10
JO  - NPJ Science of Food
DO  - 10.1038/s41538-026-00993-3
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41538-026-00993-3
AB  - Age-related cognitive impairment is a major public health concern associated with neuroinflammation and gut microbiota dysbiosis. Proanthocyanidins (PC), a class of dietary polyphenols, have been suggested to modulate the gut–brain axis. Here, we investigated the mechanisms by which PC alleviate cognitive deficits in a thyroxine-induced accelerated aging-like mouse model. PC supplementation significantly improved spatial learning and memory, as assessed by the Morris water maze. These effects were accompanied by modulation of gut microbiota composition and altered fecal short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), particularly butyrate and propionate. PC also improved intestinal barrier function, increased colonic tryptophan hydroxylase 1 (TPH1) expression, and regulated 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP)/serotonin (5-HT)-related pathways. In parallel, hippocampal neuroinflammatory responses were attenuated. Collectively, these findings suggest that the neuroprotective effects of PC are associated with a gut microbiota–SCFAs–5-HTP/5-HT axis. This study highlights the potential of dietary proanthocyanidins as a nutritional strategy for mitigating cognitive impairment under thyroxine-induced accelerated aging-like conditions.
SN  - 2396-8370
ER  -