Memory-improving Effects of Fermented Sea Tangle Saccharina japonica in Normal Mice

Marine organisms are sources of many bioactive compounds, such as essential fatty acids, essential amino acids, vitamins, and minerals, making them useful candidates for the production of safe bioactive substances. They also synthesize glutamic acid, which can be used to produce γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), the major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system (CNS), via fermentation with Lactobacillus brevis BJ-20. This study investigated the degree to which fermented sea tangle (FST) inhibits enzymes such as acetylcholine esterase (AChE) and prolyl endopeptidase (PEP) and affects memory of normal mice using the T-maze test. FST inhibited more than 90% of AChE at 1 mg/mL and 50% of PEP at 8 mg/mL. Oral FST (100 mg/kg) significantly improved performance of normal mice on the T-maze. Therefore, sea tangle fermented with L. brevis BJ20 effectively contributes to memory improvement and might be a useful functional food ingredient.