Ginsenoside Rg1 is the main active ingredient of Panax ginseng with the activity of neuroprotective, antioxidant and strengthening the immune system. Therefore, we hypothesized that Rg1 may afford anti-aging effects although the mechanism remains to be elucidated. In this study, chemically induced aging mice were established by consecutive administration of D-galactose and AlCl3. We found that Rg1 effectively ameliorates spatial learning and memory deficits in aging mice demonstrated by their improved performance in step down avoidance tests and Morris water maze experiments. Rg1 restored aging-induced decline of FGF2 and BDNF, reactivated TrkB/Akt signaling pathways in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex to inhibit apoptosis, for the expression of anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 and apoptosis promoting enzyme cleaved-Caspase3 were antagonistically restored. Therefore, these results established the anti-aging effects of Rg1, and FGF2, BDNF and associated signaling pathways might be promising targets. Our data may provide a new avenue to the pharmacological research and diet therapeutic role of ethnic products such as Rg1 in anti-aging and aging associated diseases.
Keywords: Morris water maze; estradiol; ginsenoside Rg1; learning and memory; step down avoidance test.
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