Oxidative stress, abnormal
fatty acid metabolism, and impaired gut microbiota play a serious role in the pathology of
autism. The use of dietary supplements to improve the core symptoms of
autism is a common therapeutic strategy. The present study analyzed the effects of oral supplementation with Novavit, a multi-ingredient supplement, on ameliorating oxidative stress and impaired lipid metabolism in a
propionic acid (PPA)-induced rodent model of
autism. Male western albino rats were divided into three groups. The first group is the control, the second group was given an oral neurotoxic dose of PPA (250 mg/kg
body weight/day) for 3 days and then received buffered saline until the end of the experiment. The third group received Novavit (70 mg/kg
body weight/day for 30 days after the 3-day PPA treatment). Markers of oxidative stress and impaired
fatty acid metabolism were measured in brain homogenates obtained from each group. Novavit modulation of the gut microbiota was also evaluated. While PPA induced significant increases in
lipid peroxides and
5-lipoxygenase, together with significantly decreased
glutathione, and
cyclooxygenase 2, oral supplementation with Novavit ameliorated PPA-induced oxidative stress and impaired
fatty acid metabolism. Our results showed that the presence of multivitamins,
coenzyme Q10, minerals, and colostrum, the major components of Novavit, protects against PPA-induced neurotoxicity.