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Review
. 2021 Jan 27;13(2):397.
doi: 10.3390/nu13020397.

Influence of Imidazole-Dipeptides on Cognitive Status and Preservation in Elders: A Narrative Review

Nobutaka Masuoka  1 , Chenxu Lei  1 , Haowei Li  1 , Tatsuhiro Hisatsune  1
Affiliations
Review

Influence of Imidazole-Dipeptides on Cognitive Status and Preservation in Elders: A Narrative Review

Nobutaka Masuoka et al. Nutrients. .

Abstract

The worldwide increase in the number of patients with dementia is becoming a growing problem, while Alzheimer's disease (AD), a primary neurodegenerative disorder, accounts for more than 70% of all dementia cases. Research on the prevention or reduction of AD occurrence through food ingredients has been widely conducted. In particular, histidine-containing dipeptides, also known as imidazole dipeptides derived from meat, have received much attention. Imidazole dipeptides are abundant in meats such as poultry, fish, and pork. As evidenced by data from recent human intervention trials conducted worldwide, daily supplementation of carnosine and anserine, which are both imidazole dipeptides, can improve memory loss in the elderly and reduce the risk of developing AD. This article also summarizes the latest researches on the biochemical properties of imidazole dipeptides and their effects on animal models associated with age-related cognitive decline. In this review, we focus on the results of human intervention studies using supplements of poultry-derived imidazole dipeptides, including anserine and carnosine, affecting the preservation of cognitive function in the elderly, and discuss how imidazole dipeptides act in the brain to prevent age-related cognitive decline and the onset of dementia.

Keywords: Alzheimer’s Disease (AD); aging; anserine; carnosine; cognitive function; memory function; mild cognitive impairment (MCI).

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The improvement of gloCDR score in ApoE4 + mild cognitive impairment (MCI) patients, who took imidazole dipeptide supplementation for 12 weeks [26]. Average ± SEM are shown in histogram. * p < 0.05.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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