Spinogenesis and Synaptogenesis Effects of the Red Seaweed and Its Isolated Cholesterol on Hippocampal Neuron Cultures.

Neurotrophic factors promote the formation of spines and synapses in neuron development and maintenance. Synaptic connections enhance memory in the brain. In this study, the effects of ethanolic extract (EKA) and its isolated cholesterol (iCHOL) on spinogenesis and synaptogenesis of hippocampal neurons were evaluated. Compared with the vehicle, both EKA and iCHOL significantly promoted generation of dendritic filopodia (2.4- and 2.2-fold, respectively) and spine (1.7- and 1.4-fold) formations in spinogenesis; they also increased presynaptic (3.6- and 2.6-fold), postsynaptic (2.5- and 2.9-fold), and cocolonized (3.8- and 3.0-fold) puncta, which enhances synaptic function (< 0.05). Further, EKA- and iCHOL-treated neurons showed significantly improved functional presynaptic plasticity (1.6- and 1.4-fold, respectively, at 17 days ; <0.05). These results indicate that facilitates neuronal development, and support its use as a functional food to reduce neurological disorders and prevent brain aging via helping to reconstruct partially damaged neural networks.