earticle

영어

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), a long chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) is highly enriched in the membrane phospholipids of the brain, neuronal tissue and retina. Accumulating evidence suggests that brain DHA is necessary for maintaining for optimal function of the cognition and the visual system, particularly the photoreceptor, the retina. Loss of brain DHA, especially during crucial brain development period, was highly associated with visual and cognitive defects. Here it would be addressed the effect of DHA on brain functions as assessed by spatial task performance using a first generation model which is similar to hu-man nutrition case. And also, it was well known that prolonged fasting and energy restriction with endurance physical exercise stimulate cog-nitive function and brain function, which is caused by upregulated ke-tone body and upregulated brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF) re-sponses. In the DHA intake or prolonged physical exercise, upregulated BDNF can activate mitochondrial biogenesis to elevate neuronal bioen-ergetics and enable synaptic formation. And it also can activate DNA repair in neurons. Further study on the mechanisms about the combine effects of supplementation of DHA and energy restriction on brain func-tion is urgently needed in this area.