Protective Effects of Nigella Sativa Against Acrylamide-Induced Toxicity in Submandibular Salivary Glands of Albino Rats: A Histological and Molecular Study

Document Type : Original Articles

Authors

1 Department of Oral Biology, Faculty of Dentistry, The British University in Egypt, Cairo, Egypt.

2 Department of Oral Biology, Faculty of Dentistry, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt.

10.22092/ari.2025.367464.3394

Abstract

Introduction: Acrylamide (AA) is a chemical compound that poses a major public health concern. This study aimed to evaluate the protective effect of Nigella sativa (NS) oil against AA- induced toxicity on the submandibular salivary glands (SMGs) of Albino rats. 
Materials & Methods: Thirty male albino rats weighing 150–200 g were equally and randomly divided into some groups: Control group received normal saline vehicle daily via oral gavage for 30 days, AA group received 15 mg/kg body weight of AA dissolved in 0.2 mL saline solution daily via oral gavage for 30 days. NS group received 15 mg/kg body weight (bw) of AA combined with 1 mL/kg bw of NS oil daily via oral gavage for 30 days. At the end of the experiment, rats were euthanized, and SMGs were dissected for histological evaluation, including hematoxylin and eosin staining (H&E) and immunohistochemistry for inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), as well as analysis for heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) expression using real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). 
Results: The acinar and ductal cells of SMG of the AA group showed signs of degeneration and toxicity in the form of ill-defined outlines, pyknotic and crescent-shaped nuclei with different-sized cytoplasmic vacuolations. These changes were statistically significant with increased iNOS immunoexpression and HO-1 gene expression (P<0.0001). Administration of NS alleviated the toxic effect, downregulating both iNOS and HO-1 gene expression. The study revealed a significant cytotoxic effect of AA on SMGs of albino rats (P<0.05), presumably by the generation of oxidative stresses and mitochondrial dysfunction.
Conclusion: NS effectively mitigated these toxic effects, suggesting its potential as a natural antioxidant.

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Archives of Razi Institute
Volume 80, Issue 5
September and October 2025
Pages 1209-1216

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