Mangiferin, a naturally occurring glucoxilxanthone improves long-term object recognition memory in rats

Mangiferin (2-β-d-glucopyranosyl-1,3,6,7-tetrahydroxyxanthone) is a xanthone widely distributed in higher plants showing antioxidative, antiviral, anticancer, antidiabetic, immunomodulatory, hepatoprotective, and analgesic effects. In the present study, we have investigated the effects of systemic administration of mangiferin on behavioral outcomes of neurological function in normal rats. A single intraperitoneal injection of mangiferin (10, 50, or 100 mg/kg body weight) enhanced novel object recognition (NOR) memory when given immediately post-training. The administration of mangiferin 6 h post-training did not affect NOR memory. There were no significant differences between groups in the total time exploring both objects, indicating that mangiferin did not affect locomotion or motivation. Mangiferin stimulated cell proliferation and induced a significant increase in the supernatant levels of nerve growth factor (NGF) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α in vitro in human U138-MG glioblastoma cells. The results indicate that mangiferin enhances recognition memory through a mechanism that might involve an increase in neurotrophin and cytokine levels.