Abstract: Objective: To observe the effect of Antarctic krill oil on the improvement of learning and memory of rats. Methods: The effect of Antarctic krill oil and deep sea fish oil on learning and memory of rats was evaluated by Morris-water maze and Y-shaped maze methods. Results: Antarctic krill oil could significantly reduce the latency of escaping onto the platform, and increase the frequency of crossing the platform and the proportion of swimming time of rats in the target area of Morris-water maze. Y-shaped maze results indicated that Antarctic krill oil could significantly reduce the number required for achieving the goal and improve the correct response rate after 48 h. Conclusion: Antarctic krill oil can improve learning and memory of rats and the effectiveness is better than that of deep sea fish oil.

Key words: Antarctic krill oil, learnimg and memory, Morris-water maze, Y-shaped maze, Wistar rats