Combination of Spirulina platensis powder and Stichopus variegatus powder against Bcl2 expression in the hippocampus of dementia Rats

Abstract

Spirulina (Spirulina platensis) and golden sea cucumber (Stichopus variegatus) are known to have antioxidant activity that has the potential to prevent neurodegeneration disease. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of the combination of spirulina and golden sea cucumber on Bcl2 gene expression in pyramidal hippocampus cells of trimethyltin-induced dementia (TMT) rats. The study used Sprague Dawley rats which were divided into six groups, namely the normal control group (CMC-Na and NaCl 0.9%), pain control (CMC-Na and TMT), positive control (citicoline dose 200 mg/kg BW and TMT) and and test control injected with TMT and given a combination of spirulina (S) and golden sea cucumber dose (G) with three ratios of SG-3:1, SG-1:1 and SG-1:3 in a single dose of 200 mg/kg BW. Sample and citicoline were given on days 1-28, while TMT injection was given a single dose of 8 mg/kg BW on day 8. On day 36, the rats were sacrificed, brains were removed and the right hemispherium cerebri was fed to 10% formalin in pbs. After 6 days, the hippocampus was separated for immunohistochemical observation. The test result data was statistically analyzed with a one-way ANOVA test then followed by post hoc tukey to see the differences between groups. Results showed the combination of spirulina and golden sea cucumber can increase the expression of the Bcl2 gene in the hippocampus. The combination of spirulina and golden sea cucumber (SG-1:3) at a dose of 200 mg/kg BW had the ability to increase Bcl2 expression almost the same as citicoline with the number of Bcl2 cell expressions being 27.51 ± 0.70 in the CA1 region and 69.96 ± 1.97 in the CA2CA3 region. So, it can be concluded that SG-1:3 has the potential to prevent dementia.