This study is to examine whether health food containing α-lipoic acid, Ginkgo biloba extract, and L-carnitine can improve cognitive function of human subjects complaining amnesia. A before-after study was done on 31 adult subjects comprising of 14 males and 17 females with an average age of 57.3±5.8 years who had symptoms of memory impairment. The Japanese version of ‘Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of the Neuropsychological Status (RBANS)’ was utilized to evaluate cognitive functions of these subjects before and after the supplementation for 12 weeks. As a result, the placebo group showed no improvement of cognitive functions. In contrast, in the supplementation group, immediate memory (story), language (picture naming and semantic fluency), attention (digit span), and short-term memory (list, story and figure recall) were significantly improved. In conclusion, the present health food is useful for improving cognitive functions such as memory and attention.

Objective To investigate the effect of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) on Ca2+ mobilization in a neuroendocrine cell line PC12 transfected with rat GPR40 gene and explore the possible mechanisms. Methods The vector containing rat GPR40 gene was constructed and wansfected into naive PC12 cells, in which the stable expressions of GPR40 mRNA and protein were detected using RT-PCR and Western blotting, respectively. In the media of the naive PC12 cells, empty vector-transfected cells and GPR40 vector-transfected cells, DHA was added at the concentration of 10 μmol/L and the intracellular Ca2+ concenWation of the cells was detected. Results No significant changes were found in the inwacellular Ca2+ concentration of the naive or empty vector-transfected PC12 cells after DHA treatment. In the cells transfected with rat GPR40 gene, the intracellular Ca2+ concentration increased rapidly in response to DHA treatment regardless of the extracellular Ca2+ concentration, Intracellular Ca2+ concentration in cells transfected with rat GPR40 gone and added Xestospongin C had no significant chang. Conclusion DHA can modulate Ca2+ mobilization in PC12 cells transfected with GPR40 gone, and this effect can be inhibited by Xestospongin C, indicating that DHA may improve the neurological functions by mobilizing intracellular Ca2+ through the GPR40 signaling pathway.