Affiliations: Department of Bioscience and Technology, School of
Engineering, Hokkaido Tokai University, Sapporo 005-8601, Japan | Department of Pharmacology, Graduate School of
Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0812, Japan
Note: [] Address for correspondence: Hiroyuki Nishimura, Department of
Bioscience and Technology, School of Engineering, Hokkaido Tokai University,
Sapporo 0058601, Japan. Tel.: +81 11 571 5111; Fax: +81 11 571 3629; E-mail:
nishimura@db.htokai.ac.jp
Abstract: The antioxidative activity and ameliorative effects on memory
impairment by sulfur-containing compounds which occur in Allium vegetables such
as onion and garlic were investigated. The antioxidative activities of
S-alk(en)yl-L-cysteines and their sulfoxides, volatile alk(en)yl disulfides and
trisulfides, and vinyldithiins were examined by using human low-density
lipoprotein. It was elucidated that the alk(en)yl substituents and the number
of sulfur atoms in the compounds were important for the antioxidative
activities. To demonstrate the ameliorative effects on memory impairment, onion
extract and synthesized di-n-propyl trisulfide were administered to
senescence-accelerated mouse P8. The behavioral experiments showed that onion
extract and di-n-propyl trisulfide had highly ameliorative effect of memory
impairment. Furthermore, it was found that the hippocampus lipid hydroperoxide
in senescence-accelerated mouse P8 was decreased by the administration of
di-n-propyl trisulfide. These results suggest that di-n-propyl trisulfide
contained in onion ameliorates memory impairment in SAMP8 mouse by its
antioxidant effect.
