Journal of agricultural and food chemistryOct 23, 2026

Changes in Gut Bacteria May Improve Thinking Skills: Study of Malvidin-3-O-glucoside in Alcohol-Related Brain Problems

Gut-Brain Axis Weekly Brief ↗PubMed ↗DOI ↗

Updated Oct 24, 2026

Abstract

Malvidin-3-O-glucoside (Mv3G) may protect against alcohol-related cognitive impairment (ARCI) by enhancing gut microbiota health.

Mv3G is associated with repairing intestinal injury and restoring the intestinal barrier by increasing levels of tight junction proteins.
The treatment enriches beneficial gut bacteria, such as Lachnospiraceae_NK4A136_group and Akkermansia, while reducing harmful bacteria like Pseudomonadales.
Mv3G adjusts the balance between two major bacterial groups, Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes.
Through the gut-brain axis, Mv3G may reduce central inflammation and help maintain synapses in the hippocampus.
Cognitive performance improvement is linked to the gut microbiota-dependent effects of Mv3G.

Simplified

Gut microbiota dysbiosis triggers alcohol-related cognitive impairment (ARCI). Malvidin-3-O-glucoside (Mv3G), a highly bioactive monomeric anthocyanin abundant in pigmented fruits and cereals, can relieve neurodegenerative diseases by regulating gut microbiota (GM). Nevertheless, the gut microbiota-mediated protective effect of Mv3G against ARCI remains unknown. In this study, an alcohol-induced ARCI mouse model combined with fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) was built to explore Mv3G's protective effects. Results show that Mv3G acts in an intact gut flora-dependent manner. It repairs intestinal injury and restores intestinal barrier by upregulating tight junction proteins ZO-1 and occludin, enriches beneficial bacteria such as Lachnospiraceae_NK4A136_group and Akkermansia, adjusts the Bacteroidetes/Firmicutes ratio, and decreases pathogenic Pseudomonadales to remodel gut microbiota. Via the gut-brain axis, Mv3G suppresses central inflammation, maintains hippocampal synapses and improves cognitive performance. In vitro experiments further confirm that Mv3G alleviates ARCI relying on gut microbiota. This research provides a novel intervention strategy for alcohol-induced cognitive injury.

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Changes in Gut Bacteria May Improve Thinking Skills: Study of Malvidin-3-O-glucoside in Alcohol-Related Brain Problems

Abstract

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