(The) effects of ginsenoside F1 in subcortical vascular dementia mouse model

Abstract

Vascular dementia is the second most common dementia after Alzheimer’s disease, and subcortical vascular dementia (SVaD) is the most common subtype of vascular dementia. However, so far, no distinct treatment has been developed to treat SVaD. Several previous studies reported that some of the major ginsenosides extracted from ginseng have the effect of improving cognitive functions. However, it is not known whether certain minor ginsenosides have such functions. Here, we investigate the effect of minor ginsenoside F1 in SVaD model mice. As a result of feeding SVaD mice with ginsenoside F1 for 6 weeks, we observed that the spatial working memory was significantly improved. Further, ginsenoside F1 decreased the astrogliosis, prevented BBB breakdown and increased VEGF-α production. Our results suggest that minor ginsenoside F1 may be a promising candidate for a SVaD modality.