Acrylamide: A review about its toxic effects in the light of Developmental Origin of Health and Disease (DOHaD) concept

The endocrine system is highly sensitive to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDC) which interfere with metabolism, growth and reproduction throughout different periods of life, especially in the embryonic and pubertal stages, in which gene reprogramming may be associated with impaired development and control of tissues/organs even in adulthood. Acrylamide is considered a potential EDC and its main source comes from fried, baked and roasted foods that are widely consumed by children, teenagers and adults around the world. This review aimed to present some aspects regarding the acrylamide formation, its toxicokinetics, the occurrence of acrylamide in foods, the recent findings about its effects on different systems and the consequences for the human healthy. The challenges to characterize the molecular mechanisms triggered by acrylamide and to establish safe levels of consumption and/or exposure are also discussed in the present review.