Vitamin K2 has several major forms due to slight differences in the side chain of the molecule. The major forms are menaquinone-4 (MK-4), menaquinone-7, menaquinone-8, and menaquinone-9. The major source of this vitamin is the conversion of vitamin K1 present in the diet. The presence of vitamin K directly impacts the synthesis and metabolism of sphingolipids in the brain. The sphingolipids in turn impact a variety of neuronal processes, including aging.
Therefore, the hypothesis was proposed, that vitamin K2 may provide some protection against age-related cognitive deterioration. This hypothesis was put to the test using Sprague-Dawley rats in an animal lab. Twenty rats were divided into two groups: (1) Control- sunflower oil, (2) Test- sunflower oil dosed with vitamin K2 each day. The animal treatments lasted for 17 months, and then the rats were subjected to several behavioral tests. An additional control group (3) of 10 adult rats, not aged, was also subjected to these tests. Finally, the animals were processed and the brain tissues examined.
Behavior Tests
The behavioral tests included an anxiety test, a depressive-like behavior test, and a memory test. These tests did not show any significant differences between the untreated group (3) and the MK-4 treated group (2). However, there were negative differences measured for the control- sunflower oil group (1). This group consistently had the lowest performance.
Tissue Tests
Finally, the brain tissues were collected and examined by PCR, biochemical analysis of oxidative stress, ELISA, and several histopathological and immunohistochemical processes. These tests all showed groups (1) and (3) to have similar results, while group (2) had less desirable results. This evidence all points to vitamin K2 being correlated with good brain health, preventing the signs of aging in the brain.
Vitamin K2 impact on the brain may hold promise for preserving cognitive function and decreasing age-related disorders.
Elkattawy H, Ghoneim F, Eladl M, et al. Vitamin K2 (menaquinone-7) reverses age-related structural and cognitive deterioration in naturally aging rats. Antioxidants (Basel). 2022 Mar 8;11(3):514. doi: 10.3390/antiox11030514. PMID: 35326164