Protective Effects of Wheat Sprout on Acrylamide Toxicity in the Hippocampus Structure and Spatial Learning and Memory of Rat

Main resources of acrylamide include tobacco smoking and fried foods with high temperatures as well as laboratory and occupational exposures. Acrylamide can cause carcinogenicity and neurotoxicity in animals and humans. Wheat sprout is an accessible herbal plant and contains a notable level of strong antioxidants and a high absorption rate. Therefore, the aim of the present study included investigating the protective effects of hydro alcoholic extract of wheat sprout against acrylamide toxicity in the hippocampal structure and spatial memory and learning of rats.

16 healthy adult rats were divided equally into 4 groups: control group (1 ml of distilled water), acrylamide group (50 mg/kg), wheat sprout group (200 mg/kg), and the treatment group receiving wheat sprout (200 mg/kg), and acrylamide (50 mg/kg). After 21 days, the Morris water maze test was done to study learning and spatial memory, and then blood and brain tissue samples were collected for serum biochemical and histological assessments, respectively.

After the second day, along with the training and learning process, the groups receiving acrylamide spent a longer duration finding the Morris platform compared to the control and wheat sprout groups. The histological structure showed a remarkable improvement in groups receiving wheat sprouts compared to the acrylamide group.

The results of the present study show that wheat sprouts can play a protective role against the negative effects of acrylamide in the histological structure as well as spatial memory and learning of the rats.