Effect of Glycyrrhiza Glabra and Vitamin C on Acrylamide-Induced Motor Dysfunction

Acrylamide is a chemical compound which can be produced while frying carbohydrates in high- temperatures. Since the neurotoxicity of acrylamide was reported in the previous studies, the aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of co-administration of Glycyrrhiza Glabra and Vitamin C on acrylamide-induced weight loss and motor deficits in rats. In this experimental study, 40 Wistar male rats aged 28 days were divided in to five groups of 8 rats including Control, Acrylamide, Acrylamide + Vitamin C, Acrylamide + Glycyrrhiza Glabra and Acrylamide +Vitamin C + Glycyrrhiza Glabra. All treatments were administered for 6 weeks. Thereafter, locomotor activity indices were measured using open field apparatus. In order to analyze the study data, One-way ANOVA followed by Tukey's test was used. The results showed that motor activity was significantly increased in vitamin C + Glycyrrhiza Glabra group compared with Acryl amide group. While treatment with vitamin C or Glycyrrhiza Glabra alone did not cause any significant changes in locomotor activity indices. In addition, rats treated with the combination of vitamin C and Glycyrrhiza Glabra significantly improved weight gain deficiency induced by Acrylamide. The study findings revealed that the co-administration of vitamin C and Glycyrrhiza Glabra can retard the locomotor dysfunction and improve the weight gain in acrylamide-treated rats.