Ishige foliacea Water Extract (KDC22-01) Attenuates Tau Hyperphosphorylation and Ameliorates Scopolamine-Induced Memory Impairment in Mice

Background/Objectives: Ishige foliacea is an edible brown alga containing bioactive polyphenols with reported neuroprotective properties. Although extracts of I. foliacea have previously been shown to ameliorate cognitive impairment, their effects on pathological tau phosphorylation remain poorly characterized. This study investigated the neuroprotective and cognition-modulating effects of KDC22-01, an aqueous extract of I. foliacea.

Methods

KDC22-01 was chemically characterized by total polyphenol and flavonoid-equivalent contents and HPLC fingerprinting. Its effects on pre-aggregated Aβ25–35-induced cytotoxicity and okadaic acid (OA)-induced tau phosphorylation were evaluated in SH-SY5Y cells. Cognitive performance and hippocampal tau phosphorylation were further assessed in male C57BL/6 mice with scopolamine (SCO)-induced cognitive impairment following oral KDC22-01 administration (100 or 300 mg/kg).