Effects of Cardamom on Neuroinflammation, Learning and Memory in Mice Fed a Cafeteria Diet

BACKGROUND: The consumption of a cafeteria diet is described as deleterious to cognitive performance, potentially due to inducing inflammation in the brain. Cardamom, a potent antioxidant, may benefit brain health. In the current study, we assessed the effects of a cafeteria diet on neuroinflammation and its reversal by dietary cardamom. METHODS: Thirty-six male C57BL/6 mice were fed with a cafeteria diet (CAF) to induce obesity for ten weeks. They were then divided into four treatment groups: standard diet (SD), cafeteria diet (CAF), cafeteria diet with cardamom (CAF-CARD) and standard diet with cardamom (SD-CARD). After administering cardamom orally (500 mg/kg/day) for 4 weeks, the mice were subjected at week 14 to behavioural tests assessing learning and memory, and hippocampal tumour necrosis factor (TNF-α) levels were measured to evaluate neuroinflammation. RESULTS: The TNF-alpha level in the CAF group was higher than in the SD group (p < 0.001), and significantly lower in the CAF-CARD group compared to the CAF group (p < 0.01). The recognition index (RI) was significantly lower in the CAF group, while cardamom supplementation improved the RI compared to the CAF group (p < 0.01). There was a significant difference in spatial memory between SD and CAF groups (p < 0.01). In terms of digging behaviour, which indicates anxiety, mice in the CAF group buried 58% of the marbles compared to 38% in the SD group (p < 0.01). However, this behaviour decreased in the CAF-CARD group compared to the CAF group (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Cardamom appears to be beneficial for obesity-related cognitive impairments and dysfunction in the hippocampus.