Maryam Akbari-Fakhrabadi - Sports Medicine Research Center, Neuroscience Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Mohammad Najafi - Department of Biochemistry, School of Medical Sciences, Iran University of Medical Sciences
Soudabehsadat Mortazavian - Sports Medicine Research Center, Neuroscience Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Amir-Hossein Memari - Sports Medicine Research Center, Neuroscience Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Farzad Shidfar - Department of Nutrition, School of Public Health, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Ali Shahbazi - Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran & Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Advanced Technologies in Medical Sciences, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Javad Heshmati - Department of Nutritional Sciences and Food Technology, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran.

Background: Evidence indicates that combined approaches based on exercise and nutrition benefit neural development. We aimed to determine the effect of saffron and endurance training on hippocampus neurogenic factors, neurotrophin-3 gene expression in soleus muscle, and short-term memory in Wistar rats. Methods: The study analyzed four groups of ten rats each: control, exercise, saffron, and saffron plus exercise. The rats in the exercise groups were trained on a rodent motor-driven treadmill. All rats were gavage daily with either saffron extract (40 mg/kg) or water. After eight weeks of intervention all rats were evaluated using the novel object recognition (NOR) test. Blood and tissue samples were collected to measure proteins and neurotrophin-3 gene expression. Results: Rats that received saffron treatment combined with exercise had significantly greater brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and serotonin in hippocampus compared to the control and saffron-only-treated rats (p< 0.05). Neurotrophin-3 mRNA in soleus muscle was higher in the saffron plus exercise group than rats in the other three groups (p< 0.05). Hippocampus 5-hydroxyindolacetic acid and short-term memory were significantly greater in all the intervention groups than in the control group (p< 0.05). Conclusions: Saffron, combined with endurance exercise, synergistically increased hippocampus BDNF, serotonin, and muscular neurotrophin-3 mRNA in Wistar rats.

Endurance Exercise, Memory, Hippocampus, Saffron, Neurotransmitter.