Abstract
Many natural compounds have been reported to improve cognitive function in cell- and animal-based studies. In this clinical trial, we evaluated the efficacy of ethanolic extract of Opuntia ficus-indica var. saboten stem for improving cognitive function using a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (n = 81) in aged people. After 12 weeks of administration of OFE (a mixture of ethanolic extract of O. ficus-indica var. Saboten stem and dextrin) or placebo, the effect on cognitive function was assessed. Overall, OFE did not show a significant difference from the placebo in terms of efficacy. However, the cognitive function significantly improved in the OFE group compared with the placebo group in the subgroup ≤70 years of age, which means that the effect of OFE administration exhibits an age-dependent effect. In addition, the safety of OFE was confirmed by analyzing blood test results, vital signs, and electrocardiograms. In conclusion, OFE administration in participants ≤70 years of age shows a positive effect on overall cognitive function. The trial was registered on CRIS (the Clinical Research Information Service), administered by the Korea Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (Registration Number: KCT0003766; URL:
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
Supplementary Material
Please find the following supplemental material available below.
For Open Access articles published under a Creative Commons License, all supplemental material carries the same license as the article it is associated with.
For non-Open Access articles published, all supplemental material carries a non-exclusive license, and permission requests for re-use of supplemental material or any part of supplemental material shall be sent directly to the copyright owner as specified in the copyright notice associated with the article.
