Neuroprotective actions of astaxanthin in cultured cortical neurones

Abundant evidence exists to suggest that increased oxidative stress may contribute to the neuropathology of age-related brain disorders such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. Recently there has been an increased interest in the potential of dietary-derived phytochemicals to protect against neuronal damage associated with aging and neurodegenerative disorders. Astaxanthin, a natural carotenoid, is mainly used as a pigmentation source in aquaculture but increasing studies are proving its biological activity in protecting cell against oxidative stress with very interesting potential health applications such as in the treatment of degenerative diseases(3). The major objective of this project was to investigate the ability of astaxanthin (synthetic v. natural) to protect against H2O2-induced neurotoxicity via its interactions with neuronal signalling pathways. Both natural and synthetic astaxanthin did not induce neuronal injury as assessed by the Alamar blue assay 24 h post-exposure. Exposure of cortical neurons to H2O2 (75 mM, 1 h), resulted in a significant decrease in neuronal viability ( - 48%, P