Marine drugsSep 24, 2026

Seaweed Extract Fucoidan Improves Memory Problems and Affects Gut-Brain Interaction in Mice with Kidney Disease

Gut-Brain Axis Weekly Brief ↗PubMed ↗DOI ↗OA ↗

Updated Sep 25, 2026

Abstract

Oral administration of Fucus vesiculosus-derived fucoidan improved cognitive function and reduced markers of oxidative stress in CKD mice.

Fucoidan administration improved object-recognition and object-location memory in mice with adenine-induced chronic kidney disease.
It attenuated renal tubulointerstitial fibrosis and reduced systemic oxidative and inflammatory markers.
In hippocampal tissue, fucoidan decreased levels of oxidative stress markers and pro-inflammatory cytokines while increasing anti-inflammatory cytokines.
Fucoidan is associated with changes in gut microbiota, decreased uremic toxins in circulation, and modifications in lipid and amino acid metabolism.
Multi-omics analysis revealed significant correlations among specific gut bacteria, serum metabolites, and physiological parameters.

Simplified

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) induces systemic oxidative stress and inflammation, leading to secondary cognitive impairment. The mechanisms by which marine-derived fucoidan exerts neuroprotection remain incompletely understood. Here we show that oral administration of Fucus vesiculosus-derived fucoidan improved object-recognition and object-location preferential indices, attenuated renal tubulointerstitial fibrosis, and reduced systemic oxidative and inflammatory markers in adenine-induced CKD mice. In hippocampal tissue, fucoidan attenuated oxidative stress and neuroinflammation, as reflected by decreased MDA and ROS levels, improved SOD and CAT activities, reduced TNF-α and IL-1β levels, and increased IL-10 and IL-4 levels. Integrating 16S rRNA sequencing with non-targeted serum metabolomics, we show that fucoidan is associated with modulation of CKD-induced gut dysbiosis, a lower relative abundance of circulating, putatively annotated uremic-toxin features, and altered lipid and amino acid metabolic pathways. Multi-omics correlation analysis identified significant associations among specific bacterial taxa, aberrant serum metabolites, and host physiological parameters. These results indicate that the renoprotective and neuroprotective effects of fucoidan are associated with gut microbiota regulation and altered circulating uremic-toxin features, highlighting its potential as a marine-derived prebiotic for CKD-associated complications.

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Seaweed Extract Fucoidan Improves Memory Problems and Affects Gut-Brain Interaction in Mice with Kidney Disease

Abstract

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