Administration of mucuna beans (Mucuna pruriences (L.) DC. var. utilis) improves cognition and neuropathology of 3 × Tg-AD mice

• Published in: Scientific reports Vol. 12; no. 1; p. 996
• Main Authors: Konishi, Fumiko, Furusho, Tadasu, Soeda, Yoshiyuki, Yamauchi, Jun, Kobayashi, Shoko, Ito, Masatoshi, Araki, Takuma, Kogure, Sarasa, Takashima, Akihiko, Takekoshi, Susumu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 19.01.2022; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 692/699/375; 692/700/459; Accumulation; Alzheimer Disease - drug therapy; Alzheimer Disease - genetics; Alzheimer's disease; Amyloid beta-Peptides - analysis; Animals; Beans; Brain Chemistry - drug effects; Cognition - drug effects; Cognitive ability; Diet - veterinary; Dihydroxyphenylalanine; Disease Models, Animal; Female; Humanities and Social Sciences; Levodopa; Levodopa - analysis; Mice, Transgenic; Mucuna; Mucuna - chemistry; multidisciplinary; Neurodegenerative diseases; Neurofibrillary tangles; Peptides; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Senile plaques; Tau protein; tau Proteins - analysis; Transgenic mice
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-04777-z

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the accumulation of extracellular amyloid-beta peptides (Aβ) resulting in senile plaques and intracellular hyperphosphorylated tau protein resulting in neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs). Mucuna beans ( Mucuna pruriences (L.) DC. var. utilis ) are unique plants containing 3–9% L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA). Here we investigated the effect of the administration of Mucuna beans on AD prevention by feeding triple-transgenic mice (3 × Tg-AD mice) with a diet containing Mucuna beans for 13 months. The levels of Aβ oligomers and detergent-insoluble phosphorylated tau decreased in the brain of mice fed with Mucuna beans (Mucuna group) compared to those of the Control group. Aβ accumulation and phosphorylated tau accumulation in the brain in the Mucuna group were also reduced. In addition, administration of Mucuna beans improved cognitive function. These results suggest that administration of Mucuna beans may have a preventive effect on AD development in 3 × Tg-AD mice.