Nutrients · 8 authors, 4 centres
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Young mice fed a soft diet for an extended period showed decreased cognitive and motor function, increased nocturnal activity and aggression, and altered hippocampal gene expression compared with mice fed a hard diet of equal nutritional value. These findings suggest that food hardness, not just nutritional content, influences brain function and mood-related behavior in a mouse model.
Young mice were raised on either a soft diet or a hard (solid) diet of equal nutritional value to investigate effects of food hardness on brain function and behavior. A third group was switched from soft to solid diet after three months. Soft-fed mice exhibited decreased cognitive and motor function, increased nocturnal activity, and elevated aggression. Hippocampal analysis revealed decreased expression of c-Fos, Bdnf, and NeuN mRNA, increased Maoa and Cdh13 expression, reduced serotonin-positive cells, and elevated serum corticosterone in soft-fed mice. In the group switched to solid diet, Maoa and Cdh13 expression decreased and aggression reduced, but 5-HT and BDNF expression did not recover after three months on the solid diet. The authors note that behavioral assessment relied on single tests and that molecular analysis was limited to the hippocampus without Western blot confirmation or examination of other brain regions such as the amygdala or prefrontal cortex.
