Study on the Improvement of Cognitive Impairment Induced by Scopolamine in Mice by Forsythia suspensa Essential Oil

• Published in: Flavour and fragrance journal Vol. 40; no. 2; pp. 336 - 348
• Main Authors: Wang, Wei, Huang, Liujing, Niu, Xuyang, Li, Shanshan, Liu, Huimin, Xia, Lan, Chen, Xuewu, Liu, Qinglei
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chichester Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.03.2025
• Subjects: brain; Brain damage; Brain injury; Cholinergic nerves; Cholinergics; cognition; Cognitive ability; cognitive disorders; Computer programs; Dopamine receptors; Enrichment; ESR1 protein; Essential oils; flavor; Forsythia suspensa; Forsythia suspensa essential oil; Gene set enrichment analysis; Impairment; MAP kinase; memory impairment; mice; neurons; odors; Oils & fats; Oxidative stress; Oxidoreductase; Pharmacology; protein-protein interactions; Proteins; Scopolamine; Synapses; Therapeutic targets; therapeutics; Transmitters
• ISSN: 0882-5734; 1099-1026
• DOI: 10.1002/ffj.3831

ABSTRACT In this study, the mechanism of Forsythia suspensa essential oil (FSEO) on cognitive disorders was investigated based on network pharmacology and animal experiments. The common targets of AD diseases and the main components of FSEO were collected through GeneCards, PubChem, STRING and other databases, and protein–protein interaction (PPI) network maps were established. GO functional enrichment analysis and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis were performed using DAVID and Metascape databases, and the enrichment results were verified using the scopolamine (SCO) cognitive impairment mouse model. The results of network pharmacological analysis showed that FSEO involved 107 potential therapeutic targets, among which MAPK1, MAPK3 and ESR1 were the core targets, which were closely related to the regulatory pathways of MAPK cascade, 5‐hydroxytryptaminergic synapses, dopaminergic synapses and oxidoreductase activity. The results of animal experiments showed that FSEO improved cognitively impaired behaviours, reduced central cholinergic neuron damage and oxidative stress in the mouse brain and increased the content of monoamine transmitters in the mouse brain. Animal experiments further validated the results of the FSEO network pharmacology analysis. This study investigated the mechanism of action of Forsythia suspensa essential oil on cognitive impairment based on network pharmacology and animal experiments. Animal behavioural experiments were conducted to verify that Forsythia suspensa essential oil can improve cognitive function in mice with scopolamine‐induced memory impairment model. The pathological conditions and various biochemical indicators in the mouse brain indicate that Forsythia suspensa essential oil may improve the memory impairment and cognitive ability of model mice through the synergistic effect of multiple pathways represented by changes in the central cholinergic system, protection and restoration of neurotransmitter balance, alteration of oxidoreductase activity and G‐protein‐linked amine receptor activity in the body and alteration of neurotransmitter synaptic changes.