Combination of rare sugars L-arabinose, D-mannose, D-xylose, D-allulose, and D-tagatose alleviates cognitive impairment in mice with type 2 diabetes mellitus

Abstract

The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of a rare sugar complex (RSC) containing L-arabinose, D-mannose, D-xylose, D-allulose, and D-tagatose on cognitive impairment in a Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) mice model. A high-fat diet combined with streptozotocin (STZ) is commonly employed to establish a diabetes model. Behavioral performance in T2DM mice is assessed using the Morris water maze, Y maze, novel object recognition test, and novel location recognition test. Neuronal damage in the hippocampal brain area is detected through hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining. Markers of lipid peroxidation, such as superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA), are measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The types and richness of microorganisms in the feces of each group of mice are analyzed through 16s sequencing of gut microbiota.Behavioral studies demonstrated that T2DM mice exhibited learning and memory impairments, which were notably improved with RSC administration. The SOD activity in plasma was decreased significantly, while the MDA content showed a significant increase. HE staining results revealed that RSC effectively reduced neuronal damage in the hippocampus of T2DM mice. Furthermore, RSC treatment reversed the decreased types and richness of microorganisms in the feces of T2DM mice.RSC can ameliorate cognitive dysfunction in mice with type 2 diabetes mellitus by attenuating oxidative stress in the brain and modulating the composition of intestinal microbiota.