Effect of woohwangchungsimwon and donepezil co-treatment on cognitive function and serum metabolic profiles in a scopolamine-induced model of Alzheimer's disease.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Woohwangchungsimwon (WCW) is a traditional medicine used in East Asian countries to treat central nervous system disorders. Reported pharmacological properties include antioxidant effects, enhanced learning and memory, and protection against ischemic neuronal cell death, supporting its use in treating neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's disease (AD). AIM OF THE STUDY: The study aims to assess the effects of co-treatment with WCW and donepezil on cognitive functions and serum metabolic profiles in a scopolamine-induced AD model. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cell viability and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels were measured in amyloid ß-peptide25-35 (Aß25-35)-induced SH-SY5Y cells. An AD model was established in ICR mice by intraperitoneal scopolamine administration. Animals underwent the step-through passive avoidance test (PAT) and Morris water maze (MWM) test. Hippocampal tissues were collected to examine specific protein expression. Serum metabolic profiles were analyzed using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. RESULTS: Co-treatment with WCW and donepezil increased cell viability and reduced ROS production in Aß25-35-induced SH-SY5Y cells compared to that with donepezil treatment alone. Co-treatment improved cognitive functions and was comparable to donepezil treatment alone in the PAT and MWM tests. Pathways related to tyrosine, phenylalanine, and tryptophan biosynthesis, phenylalanine metabolism, and cysteine and methionine metabolism were altered by co-treatment. Levels of tyrosine and methionine, major serum metabolites in these pathways, were significantly reduced after co-treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Co-treatment with WCW and donepezil shows promise as a therapeutic strategy for AD and is comparable to donepezil alone in improving cognitive function. Reduced tyrosine and methionine levels after co-treatment may enhance cognitive function by mitigating hypertyrosinemia and hyperhomocysteinemia, known risk factors for AD. The serum metabolic profiles obtained in this study can serve as a foundation for developing other bioactive compounds using a scopolamine-induced mouse model.

Effect of e-Health Literacy on COVID-19 Infection-Preventive Behaviors of Undergraduate Students Majoring in Healthcare.

This study examined and verified the level of e-health literacy (e-HL) and infection preventive behaviors related to COVID-19 among undergraduate students majoring in healthcare. An online survey was conducted with 274 university students majoring in nursing, clinical pathology, and occupational therapy in South Korea. The e-HL consisted of functional, communicational, and critical literacy, and preventive behaviors were based on the Prevention Guideline on Droplet Infection. The mean score for e-HL was 3.62, with nursing students obtaining the highest scores. The overall e-HL score and the scores on its three sub-dimensions were related to infection-preventive behaviors. Moreover, e-HL affected infection-preventive behaviors (p < 0.001). Findings from this study highlight the necessity of education for improving the e-HL of undergraduate students majoring in healthcare to strengthen infection-preventive behaviors and protect patients from infectious diseases.