Methylene Blue is a synthetic phenothiazine compound with unusual redox properties that has been studied extensively in cellular metabolism, mitochondrial function and neuroscience. At low concentrations, research suggests that Methylene Blue can participate in mitochondrial electron cycling, supporting electron transport and cytochrome c oxidase activity. These mechanisms have prompted investigation into its potential effects on cellular energy production, oxidative stress and mitochondrial resilience.

Neuroscience research has also examined Methylene Blue in relation to memory, attention and neural activity. In a small randomized, placebo-controlled human study involving 26 participants, a single low dose was associated with increased functional MRI activity during attention and short-term-memory tasks and approximately a 7% improvement in correct memory-retrieval responses compared with placebo. Other controlled research has reported effects on contextual memory and fear-extinction learning, although responses appear dependent on the experimental conditions.