Whey protein hydrolysate renovates age-related and scopolamine-induced cognitive impairment: A short-time study

This study demonstrated that short-time WPH and WP intake protected against memory impairment induced by scopolamine and aging respectively. This was concluded from the behavior and hippocampus histopathology of mice. The mechanism mediated by WPH treatment could be attributed to the following aspects: (1) WPH attenuated the oxidative stress and high AchE level, which was associated with neuroinflammation. (2) WPH altered the abundance of cognition-related intestinal flora to modulate cognitive ability. (3) WPH protected hippocampal neurons through ECM pathway and focal adhesion pathway, maintaining cell morphology and function. Therefore, our research proved therapeutic benefits of WPH and provided a potential treatment for neurodegenerative diseases.