A Novel Supplement Consisting of Rice, Silkworm Pupae and a Mixture of Ginger and Holy Basil Improves Post-Stroke Cognitive Impairment.

Backgrounds/Objectives: Despite the increasing importance of the condition of post-stroke cognitive impairment (PSCI), the current therapy efficacy is limited. Since oxidative stress and inflammation are targeted in anti-stroke therapy, we aimed to assess the protective effect against PSI of an orodispersible film loaded with silkworm pupae hydrolysate and a combined extract of holy basil and ginger (JP1), which show antioxidant, and anti-inflammation effects. Methods: Male Wistar rats (200-250 g) were administered JP1 at doses of 1, 10, and 100 mg/kg BW 45 min before a 6 h immobilization stress exposure for 14 days. Then, the right middle cerebral artery was permanently occluded (MCAO) and JP1 was continually administered for 21 days after MCAO. Spatial and non-spatial memory and the possible underlying mechanisms were also explored. Results: JP1 improved oxidative stress, inflammation, apoptosis, Erk signaling pathway, cholinergic function, and the growth of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium spp. in feces. These results suggest that JP1 improves PSCI, possibly involving the above mechanisms. Furthermore, serum corticosterone also decreased. Conclusions: Our results suggest that JP1 is a potential candidate for combating PSCI following exposure to stroke plus stress. However, a clear understanding of the precise active ingredient and the detailed mechanisms require further investigation.