Phyllanthus emblica Linn. fruit polyphenols improve acute paradoxical sleep deprivation-induced cognitive impairment and anxiety via Nrf2 pathway

Phyllanthus emblica Linn. fruit that primarily contains many polyphenols, have been considered homologous food for centuries and have been used as a remedy for a variety of ailments, including maintaining brain function. It is, however, unclear what is the mechanism of protective action of Phyllanthus emblica Linn. fruit polyphenols (PEFPs) against cognitive impairment and anxiety induced by acute paradoxical sleep deprivation (SD). Behavioral abnormalities induced by acute paradoxical SD were effectively alleviated by PEFPs, which also prevented histopathological and morphological damage to hippocampal neurons. Acute paradoxical SD-induced cognitive impairments and anxiety are treated by PEFPs through modulating a variety of biological functional modules, such as oxidative stress, inflammation/immune, cell proliferation and differentiation, metabolism, and neurotransmitter signaling. Further results showed that PEFPs markedly counteracted oxidative stress damage and neuroinflammation by activating the Nrf2 pathway. In summary, PEFPs are attractive nutraceutical ingredients for preventing cognitive impairment and anxiety associated with sleep loss.