TY  - EJOU
AU  - Obrycka, Patrycja 
AU  - Oślizło, Nikodem 
AU  - Frątczak, Agnieszka 
AU  - Ickiewicz, Maja 
AU  - Paszenda, Patrycja 
AU  - Sobala, Jasmin 
AU  - Soczyńska, Julia 
AU  - Woźniak, Sławomir 

TI  - Postbiotics as Emerging Memory-Enhancing Agents: Molecular Mechanisms along the Gut–Brain–Synapse Axis
T2  - BIOCELL

PY  - 
VL  - 
IS  - 
SN  - 1667-5746

AB  - Growing evidence indicates that the gut–brain axis plays a central role in cognitive regulation, with microbial metabolites acting as important mediators of neuronal function. This review examines how postbiotics—bioactive compounds produced by microorganisms, including short-chain fatty acids, indole derivatives, bacterial peptides, and extracellular vesicles—may influence memory-related processes and cognitive resilience. Particular attention is given to the molecular and intracellular mechanisms through which postbiotics interact with host targets, including G-protein–coupled receptors, the aryl hydrocarbon receptor, and epigenetic regulators. Activation of these pathways modulates signaling cascades such as mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (MAPK/ERK), phosphoinositide 3-kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K–Akt), and cyclic AMP response element-binding protein (CREB), which are associated with synaptic plasticity, neuronal survival, neurogenesis, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor activity. The review also highlights the role of postbiotics in regulating neuroinflammation, microglial activation, and blood–brain barrier integrity. Despite promising findings, the precise intracellular mechanisms remain incompletely understood and require further investigation to support future therapeutic strategies for cognitive disorders.
KW  - Postbiotics; gut–brain axis; microbial metabolites; synaptic plasticity; brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF); hippocampus; epigenetic modulation; short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs); neuroinflammation; intracellular signaling pathways

DO  - 10.32604/biocell.2026.084626