Oral Supplementation of Fucoxanthin Regulates Gene Expression in the Brain of Middle-aged Rats.

Abstract

Age is the main risk factor for many neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and frontotemporal dementia. Despite our limited understanding of cellular mechanisms of aging-associated neuronal loss, an increasing number of studies demonstrate that oxidative stress and inflammation are key drivers. Epidemiological studies indicate that diet during middle adulthood can influence the risk of developing neurodegenerative diseases later in life, so it is important to investigate dietary interventions to combat oxidative stress and inflammation. In this study, we hypothesized that treatment with fucoxanthin, a marine carotenoid with strong antioxidant properties, prevents aging-associated oxidative stress that is known to be related to natural brain aging. Treatment with fucoxanthin protected rat primary hippocampal neurons against oxidative stress and aging