What this means
Rats given a plum fruit extract with a substance that ages them showed better memory than rats given the aging substance alone. This study was done in rats, so it does not show the same effect in people.
Plain-English summary written by an AI model from the abstract. The original is below.
- Who it was tested in
- 48 male rats
- Kind of research
- Research in animals or cells
The science
- Original title
- Prunus domestica L. Fruit Extract Mitigates the Depletion of Rat Hippocampal Neurogenesis and Memory Deficits Observed in a D-Galactose-Induced Aging Rat Model.
- Authors
- Naewla S, Pannin P, Sintow P et al.
- Journal
- Nutrients
- Published
- Oct 16, 2026
- Study type
- Lab or animal study · indexed as animal research
- PMID
- 42884629 ↗
Abstract
Background
Accumulation of oxidative damage and brain inflammation plays a role in aging-associated memory impairment. D-galactose (D-gal) is a monosaccharide used to induce aging in rat models by promoting oxidative damage and neuroinflammation. Prunus domestica L. (PD) contains high levels of flavonoid compounds, which possess antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective and anti-aging properties. This study investigated the effects of PD fruit extract on memory, vascular-associated cell proliferation, immature neuronal cells, and survival of neurons in the dentate gyrus (DG) using a rat model of D-gal-induced aging.
What they did
Forty-eight male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats, two months old, were randomly assigned to eight groups: vehicle (0.9% normal saline), D-gal (50 mg/kg), PD (75, 100, and 150 mg/kg), or D-gal (50 mg/kg) co-administered with PD (75, 100 or 150 mg/kg). Spatial memory was assessed using the novel object location (NOL) test. Hippocampal neurogenesis and vascular-associated cell proliferation in the DG were evaluated using immunofluorescence staining for the co-localization of the markers Ki-67/rat endothelial cell antigen-1 (RECA-1) and 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine/neuronal nuclear protein (BrdU/NeuN), as well as doublecortin (DCX).
What they found
Rats treated with D-gal alone did not show a significant preference for the novel location. Additionally, D-gal treatment reduced the numbers of Ki-67-, Ki-67/RECA-1-, BrdU/NeuN-, and DCX-stained cells in the hippocampus. Conversely, co-administration of PD fruit extract was associated with a significant preference for the novel location, and this treatment also attenuated the D-gal-triggered reductions in cellular markers. These finding suggest that PD fruit extract exerts a neuroprotective effect against D-gal-induced brain aging, potentially preserving spatial memory-related performance in rats.
The authors' abstract, grouped under plain headings from its own section labels.
Naewla S, Pannin P, Sintow P et al. Prunus domestica L. Fruit Extract Mitigates the Depletion of Rat Hippocampal Neurogenesis and Memory Deficits Observed in a D-Galactose-Induced Aging Rat Model. Nutrients. 2026. doi:10.3390/nu18193178. PMID: 42884629. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42884629/