Investigating the Neuroprotective Effects of Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in Egg Yolk Phospholipids on Oxidative Damage in HT22 Cells

Egg yolk phospholipids are primarily composed of various fatty acids, lysophosphatidylcholine and lysophosphatidylethanolamine. Existing studies demonstrated the neuroprotective activity of egg yolk phospholipids, however, which products of these compounds after digestion executive the function have not been clarified. The objective of this study was to investigate the neuroprotective effects of different structural components in egg yolk phospholipids based on a DMNQ-induced oxidative damage in HT22 cells. The findings demonstrate that pre-treatment with diverse egg yolk phospholipid components, particularly the polyunsaturated fatty acids, markedly elevated cell viability, superoxide dismutase activity, diminished ROS generation, reduced malondialdehyde levels and elevated mitochondrial membrane potential. Furthermore, RNA-Seq analysis demonstrated that unsaturated fatty acids exert its neuroprotective effects by upregulating genes involved in cell proliferation (JAG2, YPEL3), nervous system development (NTF5), DNA damage repair (H2AX), and other related processes. These findings provide a theoretical basis for future studies on the characteristic structure of egg yolk phospholipids with profound neuroprotective effects.