Biol. Pharm. Bull. 29(6) 1212—1216 (2006)

production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and their removal, has been implicated in the progression of many neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and stroke. Inflammation is characteristic of brain tissue, pathologically affected by neurological diseases such as AD and Parkinson’s disease. Cognitive deficits due to aging and AD are related to the increased vulnerability to oxidative stress and inflammation. Therefore, it is rational to regulate the amount of oxidative free radicals and microglial activation as a therapeutic approach. Specifically, an agent with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties would be more effective in preventing brain diseases with ROS and inflammation than other agents with only antioxidant properties. Natural marine products, having both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities, have received extra attention due to their potential pharmacological activities. Neorhodomela aculeata (Rhodomela confervoides) has been used by the Chinese for centuries for the treatment of certain illnesses. The methanolic extract of N. aculeata and a number of bromophenol metabolites isolated from their methanolic extract have antibacterial activities. However, no pharmacological properties of N. aculeata have been reported as antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agents in the brain. Therefore, these experiments were conducted to evaluate the properties of the methanolic extract of N. aculeata with neuronal cells and microglial cells.