The current study aimed to investigate whether quercetin plays a protective role in acrylamide (AA)-induced toxicity using a metabolomics approach. Rats were randomly divided into groups as follows: control, treated with AA [5 mg/kg body weight (bw)], treated with different dosages of quercetin (10 and 50 mg/kg bw, respectively), and treated with two dosages of quercetin plus AA. After a 16 week treatment, rat serum was collected for metabolomics analysis. Biochemical tests and examination of liver histopathology were further conducted to verify metabolic alterations. Twelve metabolites were identified for which intensities were significantly changed (increased or reduced) as a result of the treatment. These metabolites included isorhamnetin, citric acid, pantothenic acid, isobutyryl-l-carnitine, eicosapentaenoic acid, docosahexaenoic acid, sphingosine 1-phosphate, lysoPC(20:4), lysoPC(22:6), lysoPE(20:3), undecanedioic acid, and dodecanedioic acid. The results indicate that quercetin (50 mg/kg bw) exerts partial protective effects on AA-induced toxicity by reducing oxidative stress, protecting the mitochondria, and regulating lipid metabolism.
Keywords: UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS; acrylamide; metabolomics; quercetin; serum.