NCT07255755

Cereboost (American Ginseng Extract) and Brain Function

A Double Blind Randomised Clinical Study to Evaluate Attention Improvement in an Adult Population After Cereboost Intake

• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 200 (estimated)
• Sponsor: University of East Anglia · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 40 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

The study will assess the immediate, short-term benefits of a single dose of a supplement containing 200mg of Panax quinquefolius (American Ginseng) on cognition (brain function) in healthy young adults. To understand the effect this product may have, the participants will complete a series of questionnaires and cognitive tests (tests of memory and brain function) at set intervals across a 6-hour period. Blood samples will also be collected to assess the impact of the study product on the participants.

Detailed description

Lifestyle strategies such as nutritional interventions have received increased attention as they provide safe and effective solutions to improve cognitive performance. Ginseng, a popular herbal root extract obtained from plants of the Panax family, is widely regarded as a panacea in traditional medicine and has been used for centuries to treat mental and physical ailments and promote longevity. Ginseng contains a number of bioactives including flavonoids and other phenolic compounds, essential oils, and vitamins. However, the main bioactive ingredients in ginseng are purported to be ginsenosides including Rb1, Re, Rd, and F11. Among multiple species of ginseng, American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) provides a particularly rich source of these ginsenoside when compared to other ginseng varieties, and emerging research suggests that supplementation with Panax quinquefolius may elicit cognitive enhancement effects. Cereboost TM from Givaudan SA is a standardised extract of American ginseng and has been reported to exert such benefits. For example, following acute supplementation with 100 mg, 200 mg and 400 mg Cereboost TM, improvements on an immediate word recall task, a visuospatial working memory task, a choice reaction time task, a composite working memory factor, and a measure of subjective mood (i.e. calmness) were observed in healthy young adults (aged 18-40 years) during the six hours after consumption. Adding to these findings, a study of middle-aged adults (aged 40-60 years) observed similar acute benefits of 200 mg Cereboost TM on a composite working memory factor after three hours, although no changes in mood were observed in this older age group. More recently, improved working memory and attention during the immediate postprandial period (2-6 hours) in healthy young adults was reported following Cereboost TM 200mg intake. We are interested in conducting a larger study (n=200) employing standardised methods to investigate the acute benefits of a single dose (200mg) of American ginseng (Cereboost TM) and focusing mainly on the Modified Attention Network Task (MANT) test as the primary outcome.

Conditions

• Attention
• Cognition

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT	American Ginseng extract	Cereboost TM capsules delivering 200 mg of Panax quinquefolius extract standardised for ginsenosides (10-12%)
DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT	Placebo product	Placebo capsules, identical in appearance to active treatment, but only containing maltodextrin

Timeline

• Start date: 2025-12-01
• Primary completion: 2027-01-01
• Completion: 2027-01-01
• First posted: 2025-12-01
• Last updated: 2025-12-09

Locations

2 sites across 1 country: United Kingdom