European Journal of Molecular & Clinical Medicine ISSN 2515-8260 Volume 08, Issue 02, 2021 2311 The Possible Protective Effect Of Saffron Against Acrylamide-Induced Neurotoxicity In Albino Rats (A Molecular Study) Ahmed A. Algazeery 1 , Samir A. Nassar 2 , Abdel-Rahman S. Ballah 3 1,2,3 Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt. Address: Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Zagazig University, Zagazig 44519, Egypt 3 E mail: abdosaied035@gmail.com Abstract: Nowadays, there is a continuous and progressive global public exposure to acrylamide (ACR) due its presence in fried and backed food. Thermal preparation of sugar-rich food mostly initiates chemical reactions that yield dangerous chemicals. Of these chemicals arise acrylamide and its metabolite glycidamide. Those having a high affinity for binding to nervous tissues. The acrylamide-induced neurotoxicity involves reduction in proliferation of neuronal progenitor cells associated with apoptotic cell death. Concerning acrylamide-induced toxicity, preventive medicine research focused on natural antioxidants. Studies on active constituents of Saffron showed obvious antioxidant, and anti-toxic properties. Here, we designed this study to investigate the possible protective effect of saffron against acrylamide-induced neurotoxicity in hippocampal area of brain. Adult male albino rats were assigned equally into 4 groups (n = 8); control; saffron group; acrylamide (ACR)-administered group and combined ACR and saffron- treated group. Our results recorded molecular changes as a significant decrease on genomic DNA fragmentation in saffron co-administered group as compared to ACR-exposed group. The changes on DNA mutagenicity were studied by analyzing the random amplification of polymorphism of DNA that showed an elevated genomic integrity on rat co -administered saffron with ACR in contrast to those exposed to ACR only. Keywords: Acrylamide, Neurotoxicity, Brain, Saffron, DNA, RAPD. 1. INTRODUCTION Acrylamide, was recorded as a major pollutant to the man’s environment due to progressive accumulation of this material during the process of cooking food. 1,2 Owing to its small size and high-water solubility, ACR has a rapid absorption and distribution throughout the body and reacts with hemoglobin, DNA, neurons, and essential enzymes and this, in its turn, increases the problem of toxicity as neurotoxicant, carcinogen, and mutagen. 3,4 Chemically, ACR is a chemical compound that contains highly reactive α-β unsaturated carbonyl groups. It exists in 2 forms; monomeric form is toxic to the nervous tissues, and a carcinogen for humans and laboratory animals, and polymeric form is not known to be toxic. 5 ACR is used as an additive in chemical engineering, molecular laboratories, water purification, textiles, mining, paper manufacturing, cosmetics and in proteins electrophoresis. 6,7,8,9 ACR has been recorded to be toxic to nervous system , 10,11 reproductive system 12,13 and precancerous to laboratory animals. 14