The Potential Role of Propolis Extract on Regulating Cognitive Function

Obesity is one of the serious health problems in the world and it leads to pathophysiological changes and numerous diseases in many tissues. One of the organs affected by obesity is the nervous system which is manifested by memory function deterioration. In this process, inflammation and autophagy impairment have been linked with declining cognitive function in obese patients. The increased level of pro-inflammatory markers such as TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β is found in the hippocampus and amygdala of high-fat diet model rats and is associated with memory deficits. So thus, strong anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory agents like propolis extract might affect to be beneficial in memory deficits. We explored and noted that many propolis studies in animal studies and human clinical trials could repair the memory function by inhibiting oxidation and inflammation process by potentially direct or indirect activating autophagy. In conclusion, propolis might be very potential for treating memory impairment, especially in obesity although the mechanism has not been fully understood and clear. Further research should be done to clarify those mechanisms to treat and prevent obesity-induced-memory impairment.