Fucoxanthin Alleviates Hippocampal Damage in Experimental Diabetic Rats

Fucoxanthin (FX) is known for its antioxidant, antidiabetic, neuroprotective, and antiapoptotic properties. However, its potential effects on diabetes-related hippocampal injury have not been previously examined. This study aimed to investigate the protective role of FX against diabetes-induced hippocampal damage in male Wistar albino rats. Forty adult male Wistar rats (2–4 months old) were randomly divided into five groups (n = 8 each): Control (Cont), Diabetes (D), D + FX, FX, and Dimethyl Sulfoxide (DMSO, solvent). Diabetes was induced by a single intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of streptozotocin (STZ, 50 mg/kg). The rats received FX (50 mg/kg/day for 28 days) via i.p. Hippocampal structure and function were evaluated using stereological, histopathological, immunohistochemical, behavioral, biochemical, and molecular analyses. Stereological analysis demonstrated a significant reduction in the total hippocampal and CA1 + CA2 region volumes in the diabetic group, accompanied by disorganized neuronal arrangement and darkly stained pyramidal cells. These alterations were markedly improved in the D + FX group, which showed increased hippocampal volume and neurons with preserved morphology. Molecular analyses confirmed elevated apoptosis in diabetes, while behavioral testing (Barnes maze) revealed memory impairment. FX treatment attenuated oxidative stress, improved cognitive performance, decreased apoptosis, and enhanced neuronal survival. FX administration effectively alleviated diabetes-induced hippocampal injury. These findings highlight the neuroprotective potential of FX through its antioxidative and antiapoptotic mechanisms and suggest its possible therapeutic utility in diabetes-induced hippocampal dysfunction. Protective potential of fucoxanthin on diabetes-induced hippocampal damage was examined by stereological, behavioral, molecular, histopathological, immunohistochemical and biochemical methods. The effect of fucoxanthin, with its antioxidant, anti-diabetic, and neuroprotective activities, on diabetic hippocampus damage has not previously been studied. Fucoxanthin significantly mitigated the deleterious effects of diabetes on the hippocampus.