Effect of the Antioxidant Supplement Pyrroloquinoline Quinone Disodium Salt (BioPQQ™) on Cognitive Functions

source extracted confidence: high 2026-04-09
#aged #antioxidants #cerebrovascular-circulation #cognition #dietary-supplements

Effect of the Antioxidant Supplement Pyrroloquinoline Quinone Disodium Salt (BioPQQ™) on Cognitive Functions

Itoh et al., 2016 | Adv Exp Med Biol | Rct

Citation

Itoh Yuji, Hine Kyoko, ... Sakatani Kaoru. Effect of the Antioxidant Supplement Pyrroloquinoline Quinone Disodium Salt (BioPQQ™) on Cognitive Functions. Adv Exp Med Biol. 2016;876:319-325. doi:10.1007/978-1-4939-3023-4_40

Abstract

Pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ) is a quinone compound first identified in 1979. It has been reported that rats fed a PQQ-supplemented diet showed better learning ability than controls, suggesting that PQQ may be useful for improving memory in humans. In the present study, a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blinded study to examine the effect of PQQ disodium salt (BioPQQ™) on cognitive functions was conducted with 41 elderly healthy subjects. Subjects were orally given 20 mg of BioPQQ™ per day or placebo, for 12 weeks. For cognitive functions, selective attention by the Stroop and reverse Stroop test, and visual-spatial cognitive function by the laptop tablet Touch M, were evaluated. In the Stroop test, the change of Stroop interference ratios (SIs) for the PQQ group was significantly smaller than for the placebo group. In the Touch M test, the stratification analyses dividing each group into two groups showed that only in the lower group of the PQQ group (initial score<70), did the score significantly increase. Measurements of physiological parameters indicated no abnormal blood or urinary adverse events, nor adverse internal or physical examination findings at any point in the study. The preliminary experiment using near-infrared spectrometry (NIRS) suggests that cerebral blood flow in the prefrontal cortex was increased by the administration of PQQ. The results suggest that PQQ can prevent reduction of brain function in aged persons, especially in attention and working memory.

Key Findings

The results suggest that PQQ can prevent reduction of brain function in aged persons, especially in attention and working memory.

Outcomes Measured

  • Requires manual extraction

Population

Field Value
Population See abstract
Sample Size See abstract
Age Range See abstract
Condition cognitive

MeSH Terms

  • Aged
  • Antioxidants
  • Cerebrovascular Circulation
  • Cognition
  • Dietary Supplements
  • Double-Blind Method
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • PQQ Cofactor
  • Spectroscopy, Near-Infrared

Evidence Classification

  • Level: Rct
  • Publication Types: Journal Article, Randomized Controlled Trial, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Vertical: pqq

Provenance

Source extracted via PubMed E-utilities API on 2026-04-10