Can luteolin improve memory deficits and reduce neuroinflammation in a triple-transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer's disease?
Luteolin Capsules, an animal study (Acta Pharmacol Sin 2021, PMID 34267346) — luteolin improved memory and reduced brain inflammation and cellular stress in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. The evidence comes from animals, not from people. Follow-up ran 3 weeks.
Source: Acta Pharmacol Sin 2021, PMID 34267346 ↗ · Research map · How Magellan grades evidence · evidence confidence: low
Acta Pharmacol Sin · 2021 · PMID 34267346 · DOI 10.1038/s41401-021-00702-8
Luteolin improved memory and reduced brain inflammation and cellular stress in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease.
The question
Can luteolin improve memory deficits and reduce neuroinflammation in a triple-transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer's disease?
What they tested
Luteolin, a flavonoid with known anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective properties, will have beneficial effects on memory deficits and neuroinflammation in 3xTg-AD mice.
How they did it
Triple-transgenic Alzheimer's disease (3xTg-AD) mice were treated with luteolin at doses of 20 or 40 mg/kg/day via intraperitoneal injection for 3 weeks. The study also used rat C6 glioma cells treated with luteolin (1 or 10 µM) to investigate its effects on LPS-induced cell proliferation, inflammatory cytokine release, and ER stress.
What they found
Luteolin treatment dose-dependently improved spatial learning and memory deficits in 3xTg-AD mice. This was accompanied by inhibition of astrocyte overactivation (GFAP), reduced neuroinflammation (TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, NO, COX-2, iNOS protein), and decreased expression of ER stress markers (GRP78, IRE1α) in brain tissues. In rat C6 glioma cells, luteolin dose-dependently inhibited LPS-induced cell proliferation, excessive inflammatory cytokine release, and an increase in the ER stress marker GRP78.
| Luteolin Dose 1 | 20 | |
|---|---|---|
| Luteolin Dose 2 | 40 |
Luteolin was administered at two different doses to triple-transgenic Alzheimer's disease mice.
What it means
Luteolin is an effective agent for treating learning and memory deficits in 3xTg-AD mice, likely due to its inhibition of ER stress in astrocytes and subsequent reduction of neuroinflammation.
Limitations
The study was conducted in a mouse model and rat glioma cells, which may not fully translate to human Alzheimer's disease. The specific mechanisms linking ER stress inhibition in astrocytes to improved memory were not fully elucidated.
The paper at a glance
| Magellan’s evidence label | inhibits neuroinflammation, ER stress (our label for this citation — see PubMed for the paper’s own title and authors) |
|---|---|
| Journal | Acta Pharmacol Sin |
| Year | 2021 |
| PMID | 34267346 ↗ |
| DOI | 10.1038/s41401-021-00702-8 ↗ |
| Topic | Brain, cognition & mood |
Read the source: PubMed record (authors, abstract, full citation) ↗ · Publisher via doi.org ↗
Where Magellan uses this paper
This citation sits behind the evidence grade on the pages below. Grades are set from the research and are independent of affiliate commissions.
Luteolin Capsules
Preclinical studies consistently show that luteolin reduces neuroinflammation and can ameliorate memory and learning deficits in rodent models of Alzheimer's disease, cerebral hypoperfusion and LPS-induced cognitive impairment, in part by inhibiting ER stress and cytokine release.
Luteolin is a naturally occurring flavone (a class of flavonoid) found in celery, parsley, green…
Research describes the compound or intervention studied. It is not a claim about any specific product.
Molecules & mechanisms in this paper
Each of these is named in the paper’s own words above. Open the monograph for the full mechanism and its other citations.
Cite this page
These citations point at this summary. To cite the original paper with its full author list, use the PubMed record or doi.org.
Magellan Longevity. (2026). Can luteolin improve memory deficits and reduce neuroinflammation in a triple-transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer's disease? [Plain-English summary of Acta Pharmacol Sin 2021, PMID 34267346, DOI 10.1038/s41401-021-00702-8]. Magellan Longevity. https://magellanlongevity.com/study/s115.html@misc{magellan_s115,
title = {Can luteolin improve memory deficits and reduce neuroinflammation in a triple-transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer's disease?},
author = {{Magellan Longevity}},
year = {2026},
howpublished = {\url{https://magellanlongevity.com/study/s115.html}},
note = {Plain-English summary of PubMed PMID 34267346; DOI 10.1038/s41401-021-00702-8; Acta Pharmacol Sin 2021. Reviewed by Gabriel Radu, DO},
urldate = {2026-08-11}
}https://magellanlongevity.com/study/s115.htmlRelated studies in the Magellan library
- Neuroprotective effects of flavone luteolin in neuroinflammation and neurotraumaBiofactors · 2020 · PMID 33098588
- Dietary Luteolin Reduces Proinflammatory Microglia in the Brain of Senescent MiceRejuvenation Res · 2016 · PMID 26918466
- Transcranial Near Infrared Light Stimulations Improve Cognition in Patients with DementiaAging Dis · 2021 · PMID 34221541
- Acetyl-L-carnitine Slows the Progression from Prefrailty to Frailty in Older SubjectsCurr Pharm Des · 2022 · PMID 36043711
- Does daily administration of cocoa extract (500 mg/day flavanols) or a commercial…Alzheimers Dement · 2022 · PMID 36102337
- Does MagteinPS, a formulation containing magnesium L-threonate, phosphatidylserine, and…Nutrients · 2022 · PMID 36558392
Prefer the interactive version? Open this summary in the Magellan app → · Browse all 314 study summaries →