April 2016 Vol. 4 No.4

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Original Research Article

The protective influence of saffron and selenium on oxidant disturbances in brain of rats exposed to acrylamide

Safaa Y. Qusti

Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, 21551 – P.O. Box: 42805, Saudi Arabia.

Email: safaaqusti@yahoo.com

Accepted April 24, 2016

Abstract

Acrylamide (ACR) is an industrial neurotoxic chemical that has been recently found in carbohydrate-rich foods cooked at high temperature. ACR is a potent neurotoxic in human and animal models. The present study aimed to recapitulate the potential neuroprotective effect of saffron and selenium in acrylamide-induced neurotoxicity. Seventy male Wistar rats were divided into seven groups served as control group, groups treated orally with selenium (0.04 mg/kg), saffron 30mg/kg, selenium (0.04 mg/kg) and saffron (30 mg/kg), and Acrylamide (50 mg/kg) for 8 days, and groups treated orally with saffron and selenium before and after 8 days of ACR treatment. The results indicated that treatment with ACR alone resulted in a significant increase in serum Lipid Profile, AST, CK, LDH, brain tissues of MDA, GPx and SERT accompanied with reduced in serum SOD, ALT, and GST in brain tissues when compared with control group. Treatment with saffron and selenium before or after ACR treatment reduces or partially antagonized the effects induced by ACR towards the normal values of control. Only weak and transient DNA damage was recorded in the brain homogenate. The treatment in combination of saffron with selenium after acrylamide treatment partially antagonized the effects induced by ACR through an antioxidative mechanism.

Key Words: Acrylamide, Comet assay, Neurotoxicity, Saffron, Selenium, Serotonin transporter