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<i>Cistanche tubulosa</i> (Schrenk) Wight Extract Ameliorates Learning and Spatial Memory Abilities in High-Altitude Hypobaric Hypoxia Rats.

Overview

Authors: Huanhuan Wang1,2, Qiqi Zeng1, Weiwen Jing2, Xiaojuan Mou1, Wenyan Zhao1, Dongliang Zhu1, Xiaowei Bao1, Wenxin Zheng3
  1. College of Food Science and Pharmacy, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi 830052, China
  2. College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi 830052, China
  3. Xinjiang Key Laboratory for High Value Utilization of Agricultural and Livestock By-Products, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi 830052, China
Institutions: Xinjiang Agricultural University (China)
Journal: Nutrients, volume 18, issue 16, article 2744
Dates: received 5 June 2026; accepted 11 August 2026; published online 21 August 2026
Type: Research article · Language: English
License: CC BY
Identifiers: DOI 10.3390/nu18162744 · PMID 42654324 · PMCID PMC13517063 · OpenAlex W7203892287
Open access: gold, a free copy (OpenAlex)
Status: data only
Categories: rat (organism), cellular / molecular (subfield)
Methods: Statistics, Smoothing, state filtering, decompositions
Keywords: Cistanche tubulosa (Schrenk) Wight, high-altitude hypobaric hypoxia, hippocampal, oxidative stress, gut microbiota
MeSH: Altitude Sickness*, Cistanche*, Hypoxia*, Plant Extracts*, Spatial Memory*, Altitude, Animals, Disease Models, Animal, Gastrointestinal Microbiome, Hippocampus, Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit, Male, Maze Learning, Oxidative Stress, Rats, Rats, Sprague-Dawley, Signal Transduction (* major topic)
Topic: High Altitude and Hypoxia (Genetics, Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology), according to OpenAlex
Funding: Natural Science Foundation of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (2022D01A57, 2022D01B102); Industry-University Joint Talent Cultivation and Scientific Research Project, Xinjiang Institute for Advanced Study, Ministry of Education (2026)
Citations: not cited yet (Europe PMC); 40 references in the paper

Abstract

Background: High-altitude hypobaric hypoxia (HH) is a major environmental stressor that impairs cognitive function, yet effective and widely available therapeutics remain limited. Although Rhodiola rosea has shown neuroprotective effects, its resource scarcity restricts large-scale application. Cistanche tubulosa (Schrenk) Wight, a traditional Chinese functional food, has been increasingly used in health supplements due to its anti-fatigue, anti-dementia, and memory-enhancing properties, suggesting potential benefits against hypoxia-induced cognitive impairment. Objective: This study aimed to investigate the effects of C. tubulosa ethanol extract (CTE) on hippocampal tissue and gut microbiota upon chronic HH exposure using SPF male Sprague–Dawley (SD) rats. Methods: A total of 60 male SD rats were randomly assigned to six experimental groups (n = 10 per group): normoxic control, untreated HH model, positive control (R. rosea), and low-, medium-, high-dose CTE treatment groups. Behavioral tests (Morris water maze), hippocampal histopathology, serum and hippocampal oxidative stress markers (SOD, GSH-Px, MDA), expression of PI3K/Akt/mTOR-HIF-1α signaling pathway proteins (by immunohistochemistry), and gut microbiota composition (by 16S rRNA sequencing) were evaluated. Results: The results demonstrated that CTE significantly improved cognitive function, enhanced SOD and GSH activities, and reduced MDA levels in both hippocampus and serum. CTE also modulated the expression of PI3K/Akt/mTOR-HIF-1α pathway proteins in the hippocampus. Furthermore, CTE altered gut microbial diversity and abundance, increasing the proportion of beneficial bacteria, which may further influence hippocampal function via the gut–brain axis. Conclusion: These findings provide scientific evidence for the application of C. tubulosa as a potential health supplement for high-altitude adaptation and lay a foundation for subsequent research.

Reproduced under the paper's license (CC BY), from the paper cited above.

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Data

Datasets cited

Data Availability Statement

The raw sequencing data generated in this study have been deposited in the NCBI Sequence Read Archive (SRA) under accession number PRJNA1481623. The data are publicly available and can be accessed via the following link: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/bioproject/?term=PRJNA1481623 (accessed on 24 June 2026). The original contributions presented in this study are included in the article. Further inquiries can be directed to the corresponding author.

Reproduced under the paper's license (CC BY), from the paper cited above.

Versions

The history of this record: each version stored by the harvester or made by a correction of its authors or of the maintainers of its code, and what changed in its facts. The texts of the paper (its abstract, its availability statements) are not part of it; versions that changed only those are not listed.

Version 1, 27 September 2026: the first record

Recorded: type, language, journal, volume, issue, pages, dates, 8 authors, 5 keywords, 17 MeSH terms, 2 funders, 40 references.

Cite

This paper

Wang, H., Zeng, Q., Jing, W., Mou, X., Zhao, W., Zhu, D., Bao, X., & Zheng, W. (2026). <i>Cistanche tubulosa</i> (Schrenk) Wight Extract Ameliorates Learning and Spatial Memory Abilities in High-Altitude Hypobaric Hypoxia Rats. Nutrients, 18(16), 2744. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu18162744

BibTeX

@article{wang2026lt,
author = {Wang, Huanhuan and Zeng, Qiqi and Jing, Weiwen and Mou, Xiaojuan and Zhao, Wenyan and Zhu, Dongliang and Bao, Xiaowei and Zheng, Wenxin},
title = {{\<i\>Cistanche tubulosa\</i\> (Schrenk) Wight Extract Ameliorates Learning and Spatial Memory Abilities in High-Altitude Hypobaric Hypoxia Rats}},
journal = {Nutrients},
year = {2026},
month = aug,
volume = {18},
number = {16},
pages = {2744},
publisher = {Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI)},
issn = {2072-6643},
doi = {10.3390/nu18162744},
url = {https://doi.org/10.3390/nu18162744},
pmid = {42654324},
pmcid = {PMC13517063}
}

RIS

TY - JOUR
AU - Wang, Huanhuan
AU - Zeng, Qiqi
AU - Jing, Weiwen
AU - Mou, Xiaojuan
AU - Zhao, Wenyan
AU - Zhu, Dongliang
AU - Bao, Xiaowei
AU - Zheng, Wenxin
TI - <i>Cistanche tubulosa</i> (Schrenk) Wight Extract Ameliorates Learning and Spatial Memory Abilities in High-Altitude Hypobaric Hypoxia Rats
T2 - Nutrients
J2 - Nutrients
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/08/21
VL - 18
IS - 16
SP - 2744
SN - 2072-6643
PB - Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI)
DO - 10.3390/nu18162744
UR - https://doi.org/10.3390/nu18162744
LA - en
ER -

CSL-JSON

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