Taurine enhances cognitive function and protects against Aβ-induced mitochondrial dysfunction

Taurine, a semi-essential amino acid enriched in animal-derived foods, is well established for its roles in improving exercise capacity and reducing fatigue. However, its potential protective effects in the brain, especially against mitochondrial dysfunction associated with Aβ pathology, remain poorly understood. This study found that taurine supplementation significantly improved spatial learning and memory in the Morris water maze (MWM) of healthy Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. To explore the underlying mechanism, we examined taurine's effects on Aβ-treated hippocampal neurons, where it restored mitochondrial membrane potential and preserved the ATP/ADP ratio. Untargeted metabolomic analysis revealed that taurine reactivated the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle and enhanced its own biosynthetic pathway. Taurine activated the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) pathway and increased expression of downstream factors involved in mitochondrial biogenesis, including PGC-1α, TFAM, NRF1, NRF2, MEF2α, and SDH. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that taurine improves spatial learning and memory in healthy rats and attenuates Aβ-induced mitochondrial dysfunction and metabolic disturbances in hippocampal neurons. These findings support the potential role of taurine as a food-derived bioactive compound for maintaining neuronal health.