Dietary Intervention With Lutein, Docosahexaenoic Acid, and Choline During Early Development Improves Recognition Memory in Young Adult Females in an Experimental Model

The perinatal period and adolescence are critical for brain development, with nutrition being a crucial factor. Dietary intake of lutein, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and choline is positively associated with early neurodevelopment and cognitive function, but interactions remain unclear. This study systematically evaluates lutein, DHA, and choline to elucidate their specific and combined effects on neurodevelopment. To ensure fully controllable conditions, we performed nutritional interventions on a rat model during a critical developmental phase (days 14-56 after birth). After completion of the intervention, no relevant alterations in the open field test or the elevated zero maze were detected. However, both the combination of lutein, DHA, and choline and lutein monotherapy led to an increase in the recognition index for new objects in female rats. No relevant effects on blood and metabolic parameters were observed in any group. In vivo MRI analyses ruled out differences in brain morphology. Our results provide evidence that lutein supplementation during brain development has positive effects on recognition memory in female rats, underscoring the need for sex-specific research on nutritional strategies. Lutein supplementation, particularly in combination with DHA and choline, to enhance neurological development potential should be investigated in further translational studies.