The potential neuroprotective role ofAmphora coffeaeformisalgae against monosodium glutamate-induced neurotoxicity in adult albino rats

Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is a neurotoxin found in most processed and infant formulas.Amphora coffeaeformis(AC) has neuroprotective properties. We investigated,for the first time, the potential neuroprotective role of AC on MSG-induced neurotoxicity in brain using a unique procedural approach. The AC extract was characterizedviahigh performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Animals were assigned into six groups; a control group, low dose MSG (LD-MSG), high dose MSG (HD-MSG), combined groups (LD-MSG + AC) (HD-MSG + AC) and AC only group for eight weeks. Assessment of the cognitive and mood domains was doneviaBarnes maze and an open field. Gene expression ofBdnf,TrkB,NMDA-B2andmGlur5in the hippocampus was obtainedviareal-time PCR. The hippocampi of the animals were assessed for structural changes. Oxidative stress was assessed in the cerebrum. The results revealed that omega-6 and β-coumaric acid represented the highest percentage among the constituents in the AC extract. The NO level was decreased in the LD-MSG + AC compared to LD-MSG. SOD was diminished in both treated groups compared to the untreated group. HD-MSG + AC exhibited an increase in the number of wrongly visited quadrants compared to the HD-MSG group. HD-MSG + AC showed decreased anxiety-like behavior compared to HD-MSG. LD-MSG + AC and AC groups revealed enhanced anxiety-like behavior. HD-MSG + AC showed under expressedNMDA-B2and over expressedBdnfandTrkBgenes, compared to HD-MSG. LD-MSG + AC revealed under expression ofBdnfgene compared to LD-MSG. The AC group revealed under expressedTrkBgene compared to the control group. Overall, the results refer to the potential neuroprotective properties of AC alga against MSG neurotoxicity.