Monoamine reuptake inhibition and mood-enhancing potential of a specified oregano extract.

A healthy, balanced diet is essential for both physical and mental well-being. Such a diet must include an adequate intake of micronutrients, essential fatty acids, amino acids and antioxidants. The monoamine neurotransmitters, serotonin, dopamine and noradrenaline, are derived from dietary amino acids and are involved in the modulation of mood, anxiety, cognition, sleep regulation and appetite.

A comparison of learning and memory characteristics of young and middle-aged wild-type mice in the IntelliCage.

We have tested the cognitive abilities of young (2.5 months) and middle-aged (14 months) wild-type C57Bl/6J mice in the IntelliCage, which enables automated monitoring of spontaneous and learning behaviour in a homecage-like environment. No differences were observed either in circadian activity or in performance in the novelty-induced exploration test, but middle-aged mice exhibited decreased exploratory activity overall.