Hops Compound May Improve Cognitive Skills

A flavonoid found in hops and beer, xanthohumol has garnered scientific interest as a potential therapeutic compound for Metabolic Syndrome, a condition associated with obesity, high blood pressure and other concerns, including age-related deficits in memory. Previous studies have used xanthohumol  to lower body weight and blood sugar in a rat model of obesity. Daniel Zamzow, from Oregon State University (Oregon, USA), and colleagues employed a mouse model to explore whether xanthohumol could affect a process known as palmitoylation, which is a normal biological process but in older animals may become harmful.  The researchers found that xanthohumol can speed the metabolism, reduce fatty acids in the liver and, at – in young mice, improve their cognitive flexibility.  However,  xanthohumol  did not reduce palmitoylation in older mice, or improve their learning or cognitive performance.   The study authors observe that: “xanthohumol may play a role in improving cognitive flexability in young animals, but it appears to be ineffective in adjusting the palmitoylation status of neuronal proteins in aged individuals.”