Chronic cyanidin-3-glucoside administration improves short-term spatial recognition memory but not passive avoidance learning and memory in streptozotocin-diabetic rats

This research study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of chronic cyanidin‐3‐glucoside (C3G) on alleviation of learning and memory deficits in diabetic rats as a result of the observed antidiabetic and antioxidant activity of C3G. Male Wistar rats were divided into control, diabetic, C3G‐treated‐control and ‐diabetic groups. The C3G was administered i.p. at a dose of 10 mg/kg on alternate days for eight weeks. For evaluation of learning and memory, initial latency (IL) and step‐through latency (STL) were determined at the end of study using passive avoidance test. Meanwhile, spatial recognition memory was assessed as alternation in the Y‐maze task. Oxidative stress markers in brain tissue were also measured. It was found that the alternation score of the diabetic rats was lower than that of control (p < 0.01) and C3G‐treated diabetic rats showed a higher alternation score as compared to diabetic group (p < 0.05). Diabetic rats also developed a significant impairment in retention and recall in passive avoidance test (p < 0.01) and C3G treatment of diabetic rats did not produce any significant improvement. Meanwhile, increased level of malondialdehyde (MDA) in diabetic rats was significantly reduced following C3G treatment (p < 0.05). Taken together, chronic C3G could improve short‐term spatial recognition memory disturbance in the Y‐maze test but not retention and recall capability in passive avoidance test in STZ‐diabetic rats. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.