Abstract

This study investigates the neurite outgrowth effect of Xestospongia, a natural marine product, on Neuro2a cells. Neurite outgrowth is a crucial process for the development of new axons and dendrites in response to various stimuli, impacting synaptic plasticity and the brain's ability to reorganize itself. Despite the reported ability of many natural products to induce neurite outgrowth, little is known about the effect of marine natural product extracts on this process. To explore this, Neuro2a cells were treated with Xestospongia extract at varying concentrations (0.625, 1.25, 2.5, 5, or 10 μg/mL). The results showed that Xestospongia increased both the percentage of neurite-bearing cells and the length of neurites in a concentration-dependent manner. Further investigation revealed that Xestospongia induces neurite outgrowth via the PI3K and JNK signaling pathways, as the effects were blocked by PI3K and JNK inhibitors. Halenaquinol sulfate, which is a constituent of Xestospongia, was also found to facilitate neurite outgrowth Halenaquinol sulfate, a component of Xestospongia, was also discovered to promote neurite outgrowth without causing any cytotoxicity. This suggests that it could be the active compound responsible for the observed effect of Xestospongia on neurite outgrowth. This suggests that it could be the active compound responsible for the observed effect of Xestospongia on neurite outgrowth. This study suggests that Xestospongia and its active compound could potentially be developed as a therapeutic agent for promoting neurite outgrowth.