Estrogenic active Ecklonia cava extract improves bone loss and depressive behaviour in OVX mice.

Menopause is defined as the end of a woman's menstrual cycle sustained over 12 months and caused by reduced secretion of estrogen and progesterone in ovaries. These hormonal changes lead to menopausal symptoms, including hot flushes, difficulty sleeping, depression and osteoporosis. Hormone replacement therapy, such as the administration of estrogen, estrogen plus progesterone and phytoestrogen, and nonhormonal therapy, including hormone reuptake inhibitors, are used to manage menopausal symptoms. In this study, the estrogenic acidity of Ecklonia cava (E. cava) and the therapeutic effect of E. cava on depression and osteoporosis symptoms in an ovariectomized mouse model of menopause were investigated. The estrogenic activity was increased by treatment with E. cava extract (ECE). In an evaluation of the antidepressive effect of the extract, ECE treatment significantly decreased the duration of depressive immobility in the tail suspension test and forced swim test. The levels of the neurotransmitters serotonin and norepinephrine...