BACKGROUND: Cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon) is a small, red fruit that has been widely recognized for its potential health benefits. The cranberry is rich in antioxidant-rich bioactive chemicals and nutritious components like essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants; for example, vitamin C, vitamin E, magnesium, copper, potassium, anthocyanins, flavonoids, phenolic acid, etc. Cranberries are thought to offer a variety of health advantages because they are high in Polyphenols (PPs), which have significant antioxidant activity. 

OBJECTIVES: The objective of the current study was to evaluate the neuroprotective effect of cranberries on behavioural and neurochemical abnormalities induced by Quinolinic Acid (QA) treatment through Intracerebroventricular (ICV) injection in Wistar rats, as well as to identify the synaptic plasticity and cognition by modulating signaling cascades, such as the ERK and PI3K/AKT pathways, which offer an adjunct treatment to slow or enhance the effects of conventional treatment. 

MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of thirty Wistar rats were randomly assigned to several experimental groups. QA (240 nM in normal saline) was administered via ICV. Thereafter, cranberry (0.5g/kg p.o.) with QA, and high-dose cranberry group (2g/kg p.o.) with QA were administered to the animals for 21 days. The dosage of QA and cranberries was chosen based on earlier experimental research. 

RESULT: The study found that cranberries significantly decrease cognitive deficits and motor impairments caused by Quinolinic Acid (QA) in rats. QA treatment affected cognitive function, as demonstrated by the Novel object recognition and the Morris water maze tests, and caused substantial disturbances in motor activity, as demonstrated by rotarod and footprint analyses. QA-treated rats also exhibited higher oxidative and nitrosative stress, lower Glutathione (GSH) levels, higher nitrite and lipid peroxidation, cholinergic dysfunction, and abnormalities in mitochondrial complexes I, II, and IV in the striatum and hippocampus regions. Cranberry (2 g/kg p.o.) significantly enhanced memory, learning, and motor coordination. Cranberry supplementation enhanced GSH levels, decreased MDA concentration, and improved mitochondrial function and cholinergic activity. According to a histological study, cranberries can protect against neuronal degeneration and inflammation. 

CONCLUSION: These findings indicate that cranberries may have neuroprotective properties, presumably through antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-excitotoxic processes that promote brain plasticity, neurogenesis, and neurotransmitter systems. This establishes the potential of cranberries as a prospective natural treatment for cognitive deficits and neurodegenerative illnesses, suggesting the need for additional research to understand the underlying mechanisms and human application better.