Spermidine for memory problems

Polyamines brake memory loss: learning from the fruit fly

09/02/2013

Many people lose their memory in old age. This may be related to an impending dementia disease. Researchers from Berlin and Graz have now succeeded in a series of experiments to stop this memory loss, at least in fruit flies. The key is apparently in a polyamine-rich food. This can therefore help in fruit flies to stop the age-related loss of memory.

Polyamines are important products of cell metabolism for tissue growth. Whether these results can also be transferred to humans is still questionable and must be investigated in further experiments. „The concentration of the endogenous spermidine polyamine decreases with age in both flies and humans“, explained Stephan Sigrist from the Free University of Berlin.

In the latest issue of the journal „Nature Neuroscience“, Sigrist and his colleague Frank Madeo (University of Graz) write that in experiments with aging fruit flies fed with spermidine, the loss of memory could be slowed down.

Prime suspects are clumped proteins
In the study, the flies had to choose between two different odors and remember that one of the odors was associated with a negative consequence - a mild electric shock. „One of the prime suspects for age-related dementia is clumped proteins that accumulate in old brains of flies, mice and humans“, says Sigrist.

However, the body's own spermidine molecule triggers the cellular process of autophagy. Autophagy generally clears up cellular debris, including protein aggregates, and delivers it to the cellular stomach (lysosomes). „This is an effect that is interestingly known also from fasting“, says Sigrist.

Onset of dementia can be delayed
Spermidine is both produced by the body's cells and absorbed through the diet and occurs in the intestinal flora. High concentrations may include wheat seedlings or certain products made from fermented soybeans.

The researchers now hope to be able to delay the onset of dementia in humans with spermidine as a dietary supplement. „Even a slight shift could be a big step for the individual patient as well as for society“, says Sigrist. „But it's still a long way to go.“ Studies with humans should now follow. The researchers now hope that the positive effect of one day can also be confirmed in humans. (Fr)

Picture: Sigrid Rossmann