Figs and Alzheimer's signs in transgenic mice
What it found
In Alzheimer's-prone transgenic mice, a diet with 4% figs for 15 months improved spatial memory and lowered signs of oxidative stress and amyloid beta in the blood.
The study was done in mice, not people.
What they found
Animal and lab studies
Spatial memory
Transgenic mice on the control diet took longer to find a hidden platform than wild-type mice. Transgenic mice fed figs found the platform faster than transgenic mice on the control diet.
Amyloid beta in blood
Plasma levels of amyloid beta 1-40 and 1-42 were higher in transgenic mice than in wild-type mice. Fig supplementation lowered these levels significantly in the transgenic mice.
Oxidative damage in brain
Transgenic mice had higher lipid peroxidation and protein carbonyls in the cortex and hippocampus than wild-type mice. Fig supplementation reduced these markers to levels comparable to wild-type controls.
Antioxidant enzymes
Activities of SOD, GPX, GR and CAT were lower in the brain regions of transgenic mice than in wild-type mice. Fig supplementation increased the activities of these enzymes.
Glutathione levels
Glutathione was lower in the cortex and hippocampus of transgenic mice than in wild-type mice. Fig supplementation restored glutathione to near normal levels.
Membrane enzymes
Acetylcholinesterase activity was higher and Na+K+ATPase activity was lower in the brain regions of transgenic mice. Fig supplementation reduced acetylcholinesterase activity and improved Na+K+ATPase activity.
What the authors conclude
- They conclude that figs could improve memory related behavioral deficits, reducing the A beta and oxidative damage and enhancing the antioxidant system in AD transgenic mice.
- They say that protection from A beta mediated oxidative damage in brain could be potentially considered as a promising strategy for therapeutic intervention in AD.
- They state that further extensive experiments must be done in order to elucidate the molecular mechanisms through which figs diet may mediate its beneficial effect on AD like neurodegenerative disease condition.
How it was done
The authors note that figs are rich in natural antioxidants and that the effect of fig fruit on experimental Alzheimer's disease had not been well studied.
They fed 4% fig fruit in the diet to Alzheimer's transgenic mice (Tg2576) for 15 months, alongside transgenic and wild-type mice on regular diets. They tested spatial memory with a water maze and measured amyloid beta, oxidative stress markers, antioxidant enzymes and membrane enzymes in the brain.
What it can’t tell you
- This was a study in transgenic mice, so it cannot show what happens in people.
- The authors say further extensive investigation is needed to find a novel lead for a therapeutic target for Alzheimer's disease from figs.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- Sultan Qaboos University, Oman; Oman Assistant Pharmacy Institute, Oman
The paper
- Title
- Chronic dietary supplementation of 4% figs on the modification of oxidative stress in Alzheimer's disease transgenic mouse model
- Type
- Study
- Evidence
- Animals and lab studies
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Licence
- CC BY. Words in quotation marks are the authors’; the rest is our summary.
- Cite
- Subash S, Essa MM, Al-Asmi A, Al-Adawi S, Vaishnav R (2014). Chronic dietary supplementation of 4% figs on the modification of oxidative stress in Alzheimer's disease transgenic mouse model. BioMed research international. doi:10.1155/2014/546357Free full textPubMed 25050360DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error