Almond intake during pregnancy in rats improved the cognitive performance of adult male offspring

ABSTRACT

Background: Based on evidence there are accepted links among early nutrition, epigenetic processes, and cognitive performance. Almond as a nutritious food could exert neuroprotective effects and improve anxiety, learning, and memory.

Methods: In the current study, female rats were fed with a diet containing 5% (w/w) almonds during the mating period (two days) and gestation period (21 consecutive days). Then, the effect of the almond diet on short-term memory (Y maze), anxiety (elevated plus maze), and stress adaptation (forced swimming test) were investigated in the adult male offspring. The hippocampus (HIP), prefrontal cortex (PFC), and amygdala (AMY) of offspring were collected, and the level of cyclic AMP response element-binding proteins (CREB), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) was assessed by western blotting. Also, Monoamine oxidases (MAO)-A and B activity were evaluated via enzymatic assays.

Results: Our results indicated that prenatal almond consumption improved memory, made a modest reduction in anxiety-like behavior, and increased stress adaptation in adult male offspring. Also, molecular assessments showed an increased level of CREB phosphorylation and BDNF in the HIP and PFC of the almond group, while the activity of MAO-A and MAO-B was inhibited by almond consumption in mentioned areas.

Discussion: These findings introduce almonds as a beneficial diet during pregnancy, for improving short-term memory, stress adaptation, and cognitive performance in adult offspring.

KEYWORDS:

• Almond
• maternal feeding
• adult offspring
• memory
• stress adaptation
• CREB
• BDNF
• MAO

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the Neuroscience Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran for the laboratory support given to this study.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

All data of this study are available on request from the corresponding author [Z. B.].

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Zahra Bahaeddin

Zahra Bahaeddin, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor in Traditional Medicine Clinical Trial Research Center in Shahed University, Tehran, Iran. She obtained her Ph.D. in 2016 from Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences in Traditional Pharmacy. Her area of research interest is on neuroscience and nutraceuticals.

Fariba Khodagholi

Fariba Khodagholi, Ph.D. is a Professor of Biochemistry in the Neuroscience Research Center in Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Her area of research interest focuses on neuroscience.

Forough Foolad

Forough Foolad, Ph.D. is a Postdoc fellow of Neurophysiology in the Laboratory for Neuronal Regenerative and Repair at Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran. She obtained her Ph.D. in Physiology at Tarbiat Modares University in 2020.

Fatemeh Emadi

Fatemeh Emadi, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor in Traditional Medicine Clinical Trial Research Center in Shahed University, Tehran, Iran. Her research interest is on herbal medicine, traditional medicine and phytotherapy.

Fatemeh Alijaniha

Fatemeh Alijaniha, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor in Traditional Medicine Clinical Trial Research Center in Shahed University, Tehran, Iran. Her research interest is in traditional pharmacy methods, natural products, and nutraceuticals.

Shima Zareh Shahamati

Shima Zareh Shahamati, MD is a Neurologist and Researcher in the Neurobiology Research Center in Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Her area of research interest is neuroscience.

Romina Tavassoli Yousef Abadi

Romina Tavassoli Yousef Abadi, completed her undergraduate degree in Cellular and Molecular Biology in Azad University of Medical Sciences, Tehran Branch. Prior to this, she was a Research Assistant in the Neuroscience Research Center of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences. Her research interests focus on molecular and cellular neuroscience.

Mohsen Naseri

Mohsen Naseri MD, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor of Pharmacology, Department of Medical Science, Shahed University, Tehran, Iran. He obtained his Ph.D. in 1999 from Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences. He is head of the Traditional Iranian Medicine Clinical Trial Research Center. His area of research focuses on Traditional Persian Medicine, formulation of herbal medicine.