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BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies
Published in: BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies 1/2016

Open Access 01-12-2016 | Research article

Essential oils from two Allium species exert effects on cell proliferation and neuroblast differentiation in the mouse dentate gyrus by modulating brain-derived neurotrophic factor and acetylcholinesterase

Authors: Hyo Young Jung, Kwon Young Lee, Dae Young Yoo, Jong Whi Kim, Miyoung Yoo, Sanghee Lee, Ki-Yeon Yoo, Yeo Sung Yoon, Jung Hoon Choi, In Koo Hwang

Published in: BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies | Issue 1/2016

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Abstract

Background

In the present study, we investigated the effects of oil products from two Allium species: Allium sativum (garlic) and Allium hookeri (Chinese chives) on cell proliferation and neuroblast differentiation in the mouse dentate gyrus.

Methods

Using corn oil as a vehicle, the essential oil from garlic (10 ml/kg), or Chinese chives (10 ml/kg) was administered orally to 9-week-old mice once a day for 3 weeks. One hour following the last treatment, a novel object recognition test was conducted and the animals were killed 2 h after the test.

Results

In comparison to the vehicle-treated group, garlic essential oil (GO) treatment resulted in significantly increased exploration time and discrimination index during the novel object recognition test, while Chinese chives essential oil (CO) reduced the exploration time and discrimination index in the same test. In addition, the number of Ki67-immunoreactive proliferating cells and doublecortin-immunoreactive neuroblasts significantly increased in the dentate gyrus of GO-treated animals. However, administration of CO significantly decreased cell proliferation and neuroblast differentiation. Administration of GO significantly increased brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels and decreased acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity in the hippocampal homogenates. In contrast, administration of CO decreased BDNF protein levels and had no significant effect on AChE activity, compared to that in the vehicle-treated group.

Conclusions

These results suggest that GO significantly improves novel object recognition as well as increases cell proliferation and neuroblast differentiation, by modulating hippocampal BDNF protein levels and AChE activity, while CO impairs novel object recognition and decreases cell proliferation and neuroblast differentiation, by reducing BDNF protein levels in the hippocampus.
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Metadata
Title
Essential oils from two Allium species exert effects on cell proliferation and neuroblast differentiation in the mouse dentate gyrus by modulating brain-derived neurotrophic factor and acetylcholinesterase
Authors
Hyo Young Jung
Kwon Young Lee
Dae Young Yoo
Jong Whi Kim
Miyoung Yoo
Sanghee Lee
Ki-Yeon Yoo
Yeo Sung Yoon
Jung Hoon Choi
In Koo Hwang
Publication date
01-12-2016
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies / Issue 1/2016
Electronic ISSN: 2662-7671
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12906-016-1384-6

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