Polysaccharides from Brasenia schreberi alleviated the toxicity induced by acrylamide on cells and Caenorhabditis elegans

Acrylamide (AC), a widely used chemical compound in industrial production and the food industry, has been shown to exhibit reproductive toxicity, neurotoxicity, and genotoxicity. While no specific treatment has been developed to alleviate its harmful effects, identifying an effective therapeutic agent is necessary. In our previous work, polysaccharides from Brasenia schreberi (PSBS) demonstrated strong antioxidant activity, suggesting that PSBS may relieve AC-induced toxicity. In this study, we employed cellular models and Caenorhabditis elegans to evaluate the protective effects of PSBS against AC toxicity. The findings revealed that PSBS significantly reduced reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels and cell apoptosis through the activation of the MAPK signaling pathway. Furthermore, PSBS markedly improved the survival of C. elegans exposed to AC. Quantitative PCR (qPCR) analysis indicated that PSBS downregulated the insulin and PI3K/AKT pathways while upregulating the AMPK and MAPK pathways. Additionally, PSBS enhanced the expression of antioxidant enzymes such as catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione S-transferase (GST) by activating skn-1 and daf-16. These results suggest that PSBS is a promising natural drug for mitigating acrylamide-induced toxicity.