Grape Powder Supplementation Improves Blood Pressure, Anxiety-Like Behavior And Learning And Memory Function In Ovariectomized Rats

Estrogen is of prime importance to normal brain function; and its depletion at menopause may account, at least in part, for cognitive decline as well as hypertension. Here, we examined the effect of grape powder treatment on anxiety‐like behavior, learning and memory impairment and blood pressure in ovariectomized (OVR) rats. Four groups of Wistar female rats were used. Group 1 and 2 included controls for sham and sham‐grape powder treated, group 3 was OVR, and group 4 was OVR and grape powder treated for 2 weeks. At the end of the 2 weeks, body weights, food and water intake, blood pressure were recorded, anxiety‐like behavior (open‐field and light‐dark) and learning‐memory (radial water maze) tests were conducted. We observed a significant increase in systolic and diastolic blood pressure in OVR rats as compared to sham‐controls. Furthermore, ovariectomy increased anxiety‐like behavior and caused learning and memory impairment in rats as compared to the sham‐control group. Interestingly, supplementation with grape powder to OVR rats for 2 weeks was marked with restoration of both systolic and diastolic blood pressure, improvement in the anxiety‐like behavior and learning and memory function. This supports our hypothesis that grape powder may be an attractive target for estrogen replacement therapy. Oxidative stress data points towards interesting mechanistic clues to these observations. Grant Support: NIH R15 G103327