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Metabolites
Special Issues
Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Autism Spectrum Disorders
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Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Autism Spectrum Disorders

A special issue of Metabolites (ISSN 2218-1989). This special issue belongs to the section "Nutrition and Metabolism".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 August 2023) | Viewed by 11488

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Afaf K. El-Ansary

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Autism Center, Lotus Holistic Medical Center, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
2. Autism Research and Treatment Center, King Saud University, Riyadh 11461, Saudi Arabia
Interests: autism; biomarkers; nutrition; herbal medicine; neuroinflammation; oxidative stress
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Mona Awad Alonazi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Biochemistry Department, King Saud University, Riyadh 11495, Saudi Arabia
Interests: biochemistry; protein chemistry; oxidative stress; herbal medicine

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) refers to a group of syndromes characterized by neurodevelopmental problems with common features that can manifest together or separately. These include, among other things, communication difficulties due to language failure, inability to employ imagination to deal with symbolic games, difficulty socializing, and repetitive behavioral patterns. The term "complementary and alternative medicine" (CAM) refers to a variety of healthcare and medical systems, procedures, and supplies that are not currently regarded as belonging to conventional medicine. Despite their popularity, the use of CAMs in ASD remains contentious; however, more methodologically sound trials have been planned and implemented to examine the efficacy of various CAM therapies, and information about CAMs is shifting from unreliable to scientific. Unfortunately, there is an inadequacy of data on the effectiveness of CAM in ASD. The existing increase in the prevalence of ASD and the absence of effective pharmaceutical treatment has resulted in a plethora of CAMs as hot points of research.

This Special Issue on “Complementary and Integrative Medicine in Autism Spectrum Disorders” aims to cover recent advances in the use of different approaches of CAM in treating ASD. Topics include, but are not limited to, methods and/or applications in the following areas:

  • Biomarker-directed strategies to use CAM in ASD
  • Dietary intervention in treating ASD
  • Auditory integration therapy
  • Herbal medicine as promising intervention strategy
  • Probiotics as non-invasive CAM in ASD
  • Flavonoid-rich diet as CAM to treat ASD
  • Phytochelators and treatment of heavy metal toxicity in ASD

Prof. Dr. Afaf K. El-Ansary
Dr. Mona Awad Alonazi
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Metabolites is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • autism spectrum disorders
  • complementary and alternative medicine
  • biomarkers
  • nutrition
  • herbal medicine
  • probiotics
  • phytochelators
  • antioxidants

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

12 pages, 772 KiB  
Article
Bee Pollen and Probiotics’ Potential to Protect and Treat Intestinal Permeability in Propionic Acid-Induced Rodent Model of Autism
by Mona Alonazi, Abir Ben Bacha, Mona G. Alharbi, Arwa Ishaq A. Khayyat, Laila AL-Ayadhi and Afaf El-Ansary
Metabolites 2023, 13(4), 548; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo13040548 - 12 Apr 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3480
Abstract
Rodent models may help investigations on the possible link between autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and gut microbiota since autistic patients frequently manifested gastrointestinal troubles as co-morbidities. Thirty young male rats were divided into five groups: Group 1 serves as control; Group 2, bee [...] Read more.
Rodent models may help investigations on the possible link between autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and gut microbiota since autistic patients frequently manifested gastrointestinal troubles as co-morbidities. Thirty young male rats were divided into five groups: Group 1 serves as control; Group 2, bee pollen and probiotic-treated; and Group 3, propionic acid (PPA)-induced rodent model of autism; Group 4 and Group 5, the protective and therapeutic groups were given bee pollen and probiotic combination treatment either before or after the neurotoxic dose of PPA, respectively. Serum occludin, zonulin, lipid peroxides (MDA), glutathione (GSH), glutathione-S-transferase (GST), glutathione peroxidase (GPX), catalase, and gut microbial composition were assessed in all investigated groups. Recorded data clearly indicated the marked elevation in serum occludin (1.23 ± 0.15 ng/mL) and zonulin (1.91 ± 0.13 ng/mL) levels as potent biomarkers of leaky gut in the PPA- treated rats while both were normalized to bee pollen/probiotic-treated rats. Similarly, the high significant decrease in catalase (3.55 ± 0.34 U/dL), GSH (39.68 ± 3.72 µg/mL), GST (29.85 ± 2.18 U/mL), and GPX (13.39 ± 1.54 U/mL) concomitant with a highly significant increase in MDA (3.41 ± 0.12 µmoles/mL) as a marker of oxidative stress was also observed in PPA-treated animals. Interestingly, combined bee pollen/probiotic treatments demonstrated remarkable amelioration of the five studied oxidative stress variables as well as the fecal microbial composition. Overall, our findings demonstrated a new approach to the beneficial use of bee pollen and probiotic combination as a therapeutic intervention strategy to relieve neurotoxic effects of PPA, a short-chain fatty acid linked to the pathoetiology of autism. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Autism Spectrum Disorders)
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15 pages, 2884 KiB  
Article
The Potency of Goat Milk in Reducing the Induced Neurotoxic Effects of Valproic Acid in Rat Pups as a Rodent Model of Autism Spectrum Disorder
by Alhanouf Mohammed Al-dossari, Laila Naif Al-Harbi, Norah M. Al-Otaibi, Abdullah Almubarak, Ahmed Tayseer Almnaizel, Ghedeir M. Alshammari, Ghalia Shamlan, Ali A. Alshatwi and Afaf El-Ansary
Metabolites 2023, 13(4), 497; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo13040497 - 29 Mar 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 4614
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a progressively prevalent neurodevelopmental disorder with substantial clinical heterogeneity. Despite the considerable interest in dietary interventions, no consensus has been reached regarding the optimal nutritional therapy. The present study aimed to investigate the possible positive effect of goat’s [...] Read more.
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a progressively prevalent neurodevelopmental disorder with substantial clinical heterogeneity. Despite the considerable interest in dietary interventions, no consensus has been reached regarding the optimal nutritional therapy. The present study aimed to investigate the possible positive effect of goat’s milk (GM) compared to cow’s milk (CM) on ASD autistic features in a valproic acid (VPA; 600 mg/kg)-induced white albino rat model of autism. All tests were conducted on rats that were divided into four groups (n = 15/group): control with goat milk (GM) treatment, control with cow milk (CM) treatment, autistic with goat milk (GM) treatment, and autistic with cow milk treatment. The casein levels were also measured in GM and CM. Social behavior was assessed by three-chambered sociability to test social interaction after the intervention. After 15 days of intervention, selected biomarkers, such as glutathione (GSH), thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS), interleukin-6 (IL-6), neurotransmitter dopamine (DA), serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT), and glutamate (GLU), were measured in blood serum and brain homogenates. The results showed a significant positive effect on social interaction in the VPA rat ASD model fed GM. Blood serum and brain samples showed a positive increase in TBARS in the VPA rat model fed GM, but brain and serum serotonin levels were lower in both VPA-GM and VPA-CM groups. Dopamine in serum was also lower in the VPA-CM group than in the VPA-GM group. IL-6 levels were slightly lower in the VPA-GM group than in the VPA-CM group. In comparison with cow’s milk, goat’s milk was effective in ameliorating the neurotoxic effects of VPA. Goat’s milk may be considered a suitable source of dairy for children diagnosed with ASD. Autistic children with allergies to cow’s milk could possibly convert to goat’s milk. Nevertheless, more in-depth studies and clinical trials are recommended. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Autism Spectrum Disorders)
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12 pages, 939 KiB  
Article
Prenatal SSRI Exposure Increases the Risk of Autism in Rodents via Aggravated Oxidative Stress and Neurochemical Changes in the Brain
by Ramesa Shafi Bhat, Mona Alonazi, Sooad Al-Daihan and Afaf El-Ansary
Metabolites 2023, 13(2), 310; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo13020310 - 20 Feb 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2592
Abstract
The mechanisms underlying selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) use during pregnancy as a major autism risk factor are unclear. Here, brain neurochemical changes following fluoxetine exposure and in an autism model were compared to determine the effects on autism risk. The study was [...] Read more.
The mechanisms underlying selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) use during pregnancy as a major autism risk factor are unclear. Here, brain neurochemical changes following fluoxetine exposure and in an autism model were compared to determine the effects on autism risk. The study was performed on neonatal male western albino rats which were divided into Groups one (control), two (propionic acid [PPA]-induced autism model), and three (prenatal SSRI-exposed newborn rats whose mothers were exposed to 5 mg/kg of fluoxetine over gestation days 10–20). SSRI (fluoxetine) induced significant neurochemical abnormalities in the rat brain by increasing lipid peroxide (MDA), Interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), and caspase-3 levels and by depleting Glutathione (GSH), Glutathione S-transferases (GST), Catalase, potassium (K+), and Creatine kinase (CK) levels, similarly to what has been discovered in the PPA model of autism when compared with control. Prenatal fluoxetine exposure plays a significant role in asset brain damage in newborns; further investigation of fluoxetine as an autism risk factor is thus warranted. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Autism Spectrum Disorders)
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