Phosphatidylserine Benefits

Phosphatidylserine Benefits
updated on Feb 19, 2008

What is phosphatidylserine?
Phosphatidylserine is a member of phospholipids; it plays an important
role in cellular composition. In healthy subjects, phosphatidylserine is at
high concentrations in the brain. Researchers believe that
phsophatidylserine may contribute benefits for our brain functions or
cognitive performance. It may also retard certain neurological disorders
such as Alzheimer's disease, though phosphatidylserine is not a cure for
Alzheimer's disease. This article summarize a few interesting research
findings on its health claims.

What studies have been done to demonstrate its possible health
benefits?

Early Animal Studies
In 1987, an Italian scientist, Valzelli L, from Instituto di Ricerche
Farmacologiche Mario Negri, Italy, noticed the neurochemical and
behavioral changes during aging. He and his group performed intra-
cerebral injection of bovine brain phosphatidylserine on two different
groups of mice, they found that bovine brain phosphatidylserine
improved performances in the subtype of mice with poor exploratory
activity [1987 Oct;9(10):657-60].

Two years later (in 1989), another Italian research group, Fagioli S et al
at Universita di Roma reported that Phosphatidylserine administration
during postnatal development improves memory in adult C57BL/6 mice.
They considered the findings were related to the effects of
phosphatidylserine on cholinergic mechanisms. [Neurosci Lett. 1989 Jun
19;101(2):229-33]

In the same year (i.e. 1989), Valzelli L et al, Fidia Research Laboratories,
Italy reported that Chronic phosphatidylserine treatment improves
spatial memory and passive avoidance in aged rats. As assessed in the
Morris water maze test, old rats showed a variable loss of spatial
memory. Old non-impaired rats performed as well as young subjects,
while old impaired rats exhibited a severe and persistent place-
navigation deficit. Passive avoidance retention was similarly affected in
the two old subpopulations. 12 weeks oral administration of
phosphatidylserine, phospholipid, was found to improve both the spatial
memory and the passive avoidance retention of aged impaired rats.
[Psychopharmacology (Berl). 1989;99(3):316-21].

Early Clinical Studies

In 1991, Crook TH et al at Memory Assessment Clinics, Inc, MD, treated
149 patients meeting criteria for age-associated memory impairment
(AAMI) for 12 weeks with a formulation of phosphatidylserine (100 mg BC-
phosphatidylserine three times a day) or placebo. Patients treated with
the phosphatidylserine improved relative to those treated with placebo
on performance tests related to learning and memory tasks of daily life.
Analysis of clinical subgroups suggested that persons within the sample
who performed at a relatively low level prior to treatment were most
likely to respond to BC-phosphatidylserine. Within this subgroup, there
was improvement on both computerized and standard
neuropsychological performance tests, and also on clinical global ratings
of improvement. Consequently, the researchers suggested that the
phosphatidylserine may be a promising candidate for treating memory
loss in later life [Neurology. 1991 May;41(5):644-9].

Two years later (in 1993), Cenacchi T et al at Fidia Research
Laboratories, Italy, conducted a double-blind, placebo-controlled multi-
center study on efficacy of phosphatidylserine administration for cognitive
decline in the elderly. This clinical study involved a total of 494 patients
aged 65-93 with moderate to severe cognitive decline (based on Mini
Mental State Examination and Global Deterioration Scale). It is a six
months study. The efficacy of phosphatidylserine treatment was based
on the changes in behavior and cognitive performance using the Plutchik
Geriatric Rating Scale and the Buschke Selective Reminding Test. They
found Statistically significant improvements in the phosphatidylserine-
treated group compared to placebo were observed both in terms of
behavioral and cognitive parameters. They also reported that
phosphatidylserine was well tolerated. [Aging (Milano) 1993(5):123Â–33]

One year afterward (in 1994), Heiss WD et al, Max-Planck-Institut fur
neurologische Forschung, reported that phosphatidylserine treatment
has an effect on different measures of brain function in the journal
Dementia. They conducted a study with 70 patients with probable
Alzheimer's disease. They randomly allocated these patients into four
groups: 17 patients received only social support, 18 cognitive training
twice a week, in 17 cognitive training was combined with pyritinol 2 x 600
mg/day and in 18 cognitive training was combined with
phosphatidylserine 2 x 200 mg/day. They tested the patients underwent
neuropsychological testing as well as measurement of the regional
cerebral metabolic rate for glucose using positron emission tomography
and 18F-2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose before and after treatment. They
found that the neuropsychological improvements were best documented
after 8 and 16 weeks. And, this improvement faded towards the end of
the treatment period. Consequently, they concluded that
phosphatidylserine could provide mainly of short-term benefit.

RECENT ANIMAL STUDY

In 2001, a Japanese research group (lead by Suzuki S, Yakult Central
Institute for Microbiological Research) prepared Soybean lecithin
transphosphatidylated phosphatidylserine from soybean lecithin and L-
serine. They continuously administrated aged rates with
transphosphatidylated phosphatidylserine and found the
transphosphatidylated phosphatidylserine significantly improved
performance in the water maze escape test. transphosphatidylated
phosphatidylserine also increased acetylcholine release and the Na
(+), K(+)-ATPase activity. [J Nutr. 2001 Nov;131(11):2951-6]

RECENT CLINICAL STUDY

Jorissen BL et al at Brain & Behaviour Institute, The Netherlands, We
reported the results of a clinical trial of soybean-derived
phosphatidylserine in aging subjects with memory complaints. The
subjects were 120 elderly (>57 years) with age-associated memory
impairment and/or age-associated cognitive decline. They were allocated
at random to one of the three treatment groups: placebo, 300mg
soybean-derived phosphatidylserine daily, or 600mg soybean-derived
phosphatidylserine daily. Tests of learning and memory, choice reaction
time, planning and attentional functions were administered periodically.
They found that no significant differences were found in any of the
outcome variables between the treatment groups and no significant
interactions between treatment and 'severity of memory complaints'.
[Nutr Neurosci. 2001;4(2):121-34].

COMMENT

It seems that there may be health benefits associated with
phosphatidylserine, however, more studies are needed to draw the
conclusion.

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