Spirulina maxima Extract Prevents Neurotoxicity via Promoting Activation of BDNF/CREB Signaling Pathways in Neuronal Cells and Mice

Abstract

Spirulina maxima is a microalgae which contains flavonoids and other polyphenols. Although Spirulina maxima 70% ethanol extract (SM70EE) has diverse beneficial effects, its effects on neurotoxicity have not been fully understood. In this study, we investigated the neuroprotective effects of SM70EE against trimethyltin (TMT)-induced neurotoxicity in HT-22 cells. SM70EE inhibited the cleavage of poly-ADP ribose polymerase (PARP). Besides, ROS production was decreased by down-regulating oxidative stress-associated enzymes. SM70EE increased the factors of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)/cyclic AMP-responsive element-binding protein (CREB) signalling pathways. Additionally, acetylcholinesterase (AChE) was suppressed by SM70EE. Furthermore, we investigated whether SM70EE prevents cognitive deficits against scopolamine-induced neurotoxicity in mice by applying behavioral tests. SM70EE increased step-through latency time and decreased the escape latency time. Therefore, our data suggest that SM70EE may prevent TMT neurotoxicity through promoting activation of BDNF/CREB neuroprotective signaling pathways in neuronal cells. In vivo study, SM70EE would prevent cognitive deficits against scopolamine-induced neurotoxicity in mice.

Increased Anti-Inflammatory Effects on LPS-Induced Microglia Cells by Spirulina maxima Extract from Ultrasonic Process

“…Therefore, effective inhibition of these substances may reduce factors that cause inflammation in brain nerve cells, thereby improving cognitive functions through anti-inflammatory effects. This information can be understood in the same context as previously reported findings, indicating that Spirulina can protect brain nerve cells and improve cognitive function and memory [31,32,35]. As shown in Figure 3, 88.4 pg/mL PGE2 was produced in the control without any treatment, while 1580.9 pg/mL PGE2 was produced when BV2 cells were treated with LPS, indicating that inflammation was induced.…”

“…The extract has also been reported in various to protect cranial nerves. However, most of these studies showed that the antioxidant activity amplifies the p-ERK/p-CREB/BDNF signaling pathway and enhances cognitive functions through inhibition of the acetylcholinesterase (AChE) enzyme [10,32,35]. Furthermore, studies on the anti-inflammatory action of the Spirulina extracts, or their chlorophylls on the resultant protection of nerve cells, are very rare.…”

“…In particular, Spirulina contains at least 50-100% more beta-carotene and chlorophyll, which are highly antioxidative, than other natural products [27,30]. Therefore, many study findings have been reported promising outcomes of Spirulina on brain nerve cell protection from these strong antioxidants, and many positive effects of Spirulina in cranial nerve protection are associated with the strong antioxidant activities of chlorophylls [31,32]. Interestingly, Spirulina is also known to contain at least 70-90% pure chlorophyll a, which has relatively higher activity than the other subtypes chlorophyll b and c which normally exist in a mixture in most plants.…”

“…Therefore, studies using the antioxidant activity of Spirulina are expected to have great potential [33,34]. However, most of these studies have focused on the antioxidant activity and regulation of antioxidative signaling pathways in the body [32,35,36], while studies on enhancing memory by suppressing brain nerve cell inflammation via chlorophyll derived from Spirulina are extremely rare.…”

Natural Products and Their Bioactive Compounds: Neuroprotective Potentials against Neurodegenerative Diseases

“…In kainic acid-induced excitotoxicity animal model, Spirulina maxima also reduced lipid peroxidation and the damaging neurobehavioral effect of kainic acid by preventing the spatial memory damage assessed by Morris water maze test [231]. Other study has reported that Spirulina maxima extract ameliorated scopolamine-induced memory impairment in mice [232,233].…”