Essence of Chicken Supplementation Alters Brain and Blood Metabolite Signatures in Sleep-Deprived Mice

Background: Essence of chicken (EC) has been found to improve brain function, increase short-term working memory, and reduce fatigue. However, the specific bioactives after EC consumption remain unknown, and the effect of EC on sleep deprivation (SD) is also elusive. The aim of the present study is to clarify the metabolic changes induced by EC supplementation in the serum and brain and identify characteristic bioactive metabolites significantly altered after EC consumption. Methods: Firstly, a kinetic analysis of EC consumption was performed to determine the time-sequential change in serum and brain metabolites in mice using gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Next, the impact of EC on the metabolic signatures in an acute SD mouse model was assessed. Results: Based on the results of the kinetic study, myristoleic acid and L-tyrosine were significantly increased in the serum, whereas gentisic acid was significantly increased in the brain after the administration of EC. In addition, EC administration differentially modulated SD-induced alterations in gene expression across brain regions of acute sleep-deprived mice, ameliorated abnormal neurotransmitters, and increased several specific metabolites in the serum. Conclusions: These results suggest that EC might be an effective nutritional supplement to alleviate SD-induced physiological changes.