Abstract:To contribute to current research on the regulation of depression through dietary intervention, the anti-depression effects of polyphenol extracts from Aronia melanocarpa fruits and leaves were investigated using a mouse model of this mental health disorder. First, 4 mg/mL corticosterone was injected into mice to induce depression in the animals. Then, after administering the polyphenol extracts to the depressed mice, changes in the animals’ behavior, intestinal flora, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) level were monitored and analyzed using behavioral experiments, 16S rRNA gene sequencing, and other tests. The forced swimming test and sucrose preference test results demonstrated that the polyphenol extracts could significantly improve the behavior of depressed mice. Specifically, the extracts from Aronia melanocarpa leaves outperformed those from the fruits. Comparison between the untreated control group and extract-treated group revealed that the polyphenols had increased the diversity of intestinal flora and the level of BDNF by 18.23% and 81.39%, respectively, suggesting that the polyphenols from Aronia melanocarpa could regulate both the intestinal flora and BDNF to suppress the depression behavior of mice. These findings provide new evidence on the high-value application of Aronia melanocarpa and theoretical support for further in-depth research of the plant, which may give rise to new resources for the dietary intervention of depression and enrich the diversity of and theories behind functional foods.
