A novel synthetic 3,4,5-tri-feruloylquinic acid enhances learning and memory via neurotrophin signaling in an aging model senescence-accelerated prone 8 mice.

This study is the first to investigate the anti-aging effects of the newly synthesized compound, 3,4,5-tri-feruloylquinic acid (TFQA), in vivo using the senescence-accelerated mouse prone 8 (SAMP8) model, through integrated whole-transcriptomic and biochemical analyses. Oral administration of TFQA (1 mg/kg body weight) for 37 days led to significant cognitive improvements, as demonstrated by enhanced performance in the Morris water maze (MWM) test, including reduced escape latency and increased time spent in the target zone, target crossings, distance traveled, and swimming speed. Gene Ontology (GO) analysis of hippocampal microarray data revealed that TFQA upregulated genes associated with neurotransmitter and synaptic functions, while downregulating inflammatory pathways. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) analysis indicated that neurotrophin signaling was a critical upstream regulator in TFQA-treated mice. Further biochemical validation showed elevated levels of neurotransmitters (serotonin, noradrenaline, and dopamine) in the brain. Additionally, mRNA expression of tumor necrosis factor (Tnf), an inflammatory cytokine, was significantly reduced in the brain. Examination of the neurotrophins involved in neurotrophin signaling revealed that TFQA most prominently regulated brain-derived neurotrophic factor (Bdnf) co-expressed genes, which was validated by increased Bdnf expression in both the brain and serum of SAMP8 mice. Bioluminescence imaging demonstrated that a single oral dose of TFQA significantly increased BDNF expression in the brains of BDNF-IRES-AkaLuc mice. Binding studies showed that TFQA has a strong affinity for the tyrosine receptor kinase B (TrkB) receptor. In summary, TFQA holds potential as a neuroprotective agent, mitigating learning and memory deficits in aging mice via neurotrophin signaling, particularly through BDNF upregulation.