Anthocyanins have been credited with capacity to
modulate cognitive and motor function, to enhance
memory, and to have a role in preventing age-related declines
in neural function. Cho et al [39] reported that administration
of isolated semipurified anthocyanins from
purple sweet potato enhanced cognitive performance as
assessed by passive avoidance tests in ethanol-treated
mice, and also effectively inhibited lipid peroxidation in
rat brain tissues. By administering blueberry extracts with
significant anthocyanin content (but not purified pigments),
it was noted that the blueberry-supplemented diets led to effective reversal of age-related deficits in various
neural and behavioral parameters (memory and motor
functions) [40]. Further investigations by this laboratory
team demonstrated that anthocyanins (in particular,
cyanidin-3-sambubioside-5-glucoside and cyanidin-
3, 5-diglucoside) were highly bioavailable in endothelial
cells, which was linked to their roles in prevention of
atherosclerosis and neurodegenerative disorders