Camembert cheese is fermented with white mold (Penicillium camemberti) and has a unique biochemical profile. This fermentation process produces fatty acid amides, such as myristamide, which are rarely found in unfermented or otherwise fermented cheeses. These compounds are increasingly recognized for their potential to impact brain health by increasing neurotrophic factors, proteins that support brain cell growth, repair and memory formation.
According to a study published in the Journal of Neuroscience Research, fatty acid amides produced during the fermentation process of Camembert cheese enhanced memory and learning in rats fed a high-fat diet.
Researchers at Kyoto University in Japan conducted an experiment on male rats to determine the cognitive benefits of camembert cheese and fatty acid amides. The researchers divided the rats into two groups: those who ate only a high-fat diet and those who ate Camembert cheese or supplemented with specific fatty acid amides extracted from cheese. High-fat diets are designed to impair cognitive function, mimicking conditions associated with dietary risk for neurodegenerative diseases in humans. The researchers fed mice camembert cheese, myristamide (a fatty acid amide), or other related compounds every day for seven days.
To evaluate cognitive ability, the researchers conducted the Object Recognition Test (ORT) and Object Location Test (OLT) on rats. These tests are widely used to evaluate memory and learning in animals. In the ORT, rats were placed in an open field containing two objects. In the test phase, one of the familiar objects was replaced with a new object. The researchers measured the time the rats spent exploring new objects, indicating that more exploration led to better recognition memory. Similarly, in OLT, spatial memory was assessed by changing the location of one object and recording the time spent exploring the new location.
The study found that both camembert cheese and myristamide improved cognitive function in rats. Rats supplemented with Camembert cheese in ORT spent more time exploring novel objects, indicating improved recognition memory. This effect was dose-dependent, with higher doses showing better results. Likewise, mice treated with myristamide performed better on both the ORT and OLT, suggesting that this compound improved both recognition and spatial memory.
“Importantly, the effects of myristamide were unique to the amidated form,” the researchers said. “Myristic acid, a precursor of myristamide, did not improve cognitive function, which may be due to the amidation process that occurs during cheese fermentation. “I emphasize its importance,” he explained. “This suggests that the fermentation process itself can improve the physiological activity of cheese,” the researchers added.
In addition to behavioral tests, the researchers looked at changes in brain chemistry. We analyzed the expression of neurotrophic factor, a protein that supports brain cell growth and repair, in the hippocampus, an area important for memory and learning. These molecular analyzes aimed to uncover the biological mechanisms underlying the observed cognitive improvements.
As a result of the study, it was confirmed that myristamide increases the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the hippocampus at the molecular level. BDNF is essential for neuroprotection, synapse growth, and memory formation. These results suggest that the cognitive benefits of myristamide may be mediated through its ability to promote neurogenesis and enhance synaptic plasticity.
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Source: kormedi.com
