The aim of this study was to evaluate whether Schisandra chinensis extract (SCE) administration influences chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS)-induced depression and cognitive impairment, and explores underlying mechanisms. Sucrose preference test (SPT) and forced swimming test (FST) were used for assessing depressive symptoms, and Y-maze, Morris water maze were used for evaluating cognition processes. The results showed that CUMS (4 weeks) was effective in producing both depression and memory deficits in mice. Additionally, CUMS exposure significantly decreased brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels in hippocampus as indicated by ELISA, immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence assays, accompanied by down-regulated tyrosine kinase receptor B (TrkB)/cAMP-response element binding protein (CREB)/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase (PI3K)/ protein kinase B (AKT)/ glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β) signaling pathways. Chronic administration of SCE (600 or 1200 mg/kg, i.g.) significantly prevented all these CUMS-induced behavioral and biochemical alterations. It suggested that SCE could improve the depression-like emotional status and associated cognitive deficits in CUMS mice, which might be mediated by regulation of BDNF levels in hippocampus, as well as up-regulating of TrkB/CREB/ERK and PI3K/AKT/GSK-3β pathways.

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Puerarin is a major isoflavone glycoside from the root of It has been reported that puerarin can protect neurons from oxidative stress-induced apoptosis. Emerging evidence suggests that oxidative damage is associated with A-induced neuronal death. In the current study, we evaluated the effect of puerarin on Alzheimer's disease induced by A and explored the potential mechanisms underlying this effect. We found that the escape latency of the Morris water maze was decreased in groups treated with puerarin compared to the model group (p < 0.01). In addition, there were significant differences between treated groups and the model group mice in a Y-maze test (p < 0.01). Furthermore, puerarin recovered the levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor, phosphorylated tau, malondialdehyde, acetylcholine esterase, glycogen synthase kinase-3beta, and the activity of superoxide dismutase to some extent in the hippocampus and cerebral cortex. Shrinkage of nuclei and swollen and eccentrically dispersed neuronal bodies were observed in the hippocampus of A-treated mice. These data demonstrate that puerarin might protect against cognitive deficits, oxidative stress, and neurodegeneration induced by A.