Saffron (Crocus Sativus L.), Combined With Endurance Exercise, Synergistically Enhances Bdnf, Serotonin, and Nt-3 in Wistar Rats



Akbarifakhrabadi M¹ ; Najafi M² ; Mortazavian S¹ ; Memari AH¹ ; Shidfar F³ ; Shahbazi A^{4, 5} ; Heshmati J⁶ Show Affiliations
Source: Reports of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Published:2021

Abstract

Background: Evidence indicates that combined approaches based on exercise and nutrition benefit neural development. We aimed to determine the effect of saffron and endurance training on hippocampus neurogenic factors, neurotrophin-3 gene expression in soleus muscle, and short-term memory in Wistar rats. Methods: The study analyzed four groups of ten rats each: control, exercise, saffron, and saffron plus exercise. The rats in the exercise groups were trained on a rodent motor-driven treadmill. All rats were gavage daily with either saffron extract (40 mg/kg) or water. After eight weeks of intervention all rats were evaluated using the novel object recognition (NOR) test. Blood and tissue samples were collected to measure proteins and neurotrophin-3 gene expression. Results: Rats that received saffron treatment combined with exercise had significantly greater brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and serotonin in hippocampus compared to the control and saffron-only-treated rats (p< 0.05). Neurotrophin-3 mRNA in soleus muscle was higher in the saffron plus exercise group than rats in the other three groups (p< 0.05). Hippocampus 5-hydroxyindolacetic acid and short-term memory were significantly greater in all the intervention groups than in the control group (p< 0.05). Conclusions: Saffron, combined with endurance exercise, synergistically increased hippocampus BDNF, serotonin, and muscular neurotrophin-3 mRNA in Wistar rats. © 2021. All Rights Reserved.