Nutritional Intervention as a Complementary Neuroprotective Approach against Propionic Acid-Induced Neurotoxicity and Associated Biochemical Autistic Features in Rat Pups.
Simple foods protected baby rat brains from a toxin tied to autism signs, hinting diet could join the prevention toolbox.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Scientists gave baby rats four everyday foods before exposing them to a brain toxin. The foods were yoghurt, artichoke, luteolin, and a probiotic.
After the toxin dose they checked the pups’ brains for swelling and rust-like stress marks.
What they found
All four foods lowered the stress marks and swelling. The rat pups looked healthier on the inside.
The team says the foods might act like a shield against toxins linked to autism traits.
How this fits with other research
Marsack-Topolewski et al. (2025) fed mother mice a high n-6/low n-3 diet during pregnancy and saw social problems later. Both papers show diet changes early life outcomes, but SRM looked after birth and N looked before birth.
Brugnaro et al. (2024) blocked a gene that harms brain energy and then fixed autism-like signs with a drug. SRM used food instead of medicine, yet both target brain chemistry.
Little et al. (2015) found saliva proteins that differ in kids with ASD. SRM adds blood-and-brain markers that could one day pair with saliva tests for a fuller picture.
Why it matters
You can’t hand a kid artichoke and call it therapy, but you can track new diet-brain studies. If future trials repeat the shield effect, you might suggest families speak with a dietitian early. For now, keep an eye on oxidative-stress markers in your assessments and stay ready to weave nutrition into multidisciplinary plans when the evidence grows.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Since there is no known cure for autism spectrum disorder (ASD), its incidence rate is on the rise. Common comorbidities like gastrointestinal problems are observed as common signs of ASD and play a major role in controlling social and behavioral symptoms. Although there is a lot of interest in dietary treatments, no harmony exists with regard to the ideal nutritional therapy. To better direct prevention and intervention measures for ASD, the identification of risk and protective factors is required. Through the use of a rat model, our study aims to assess the possible danger of exposure to neurotoxic doses of propionic acid (PPA) and the nutritional protective effects of prebiotics and probiotics. Here, we conducted a biochemical assessment of the effects of dietary supplement therapy in the PPA model of autism. We used 36 male Sprague Dawley albino rat pups divided into six groups. Standard food and drink were given to the control group. The PPA-induced ASD model was the second group; it was fed a conventional diet for 27 days before receiving 250 mg/kg of PPA orally for three days. The four other groups were given 3 mL/kg of yoghurt daily, 400 mg/Kg of artichokes daily, 50 mg/kg of luteolin daily and <i>Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus</i> GG at 0.2 mL daily for 27 days before being given PPA (250 mg/kg BW) for three days along with their normal diet. All groups had their brain homogenates tested for biochemical markers, which included gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), glutathione peroxidase 1 (GPX1), glutathione (GSH), interleukin 6 (IL-6), interleukin 10 (IL-10) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF). When compared with the control group, the PPA-induced model presented increased oxidative stress and neuroinflammation but groups treated with all four dietary therapies presented improvements in biochemical characteristics for oxidative stress and neuroinflammation. As all of the therapies show sufficient anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, they can be used as a useful dietary component to help prevent ASD.
, 2023 · doi:10.3390/metabo13060738