Preventive effects of the antioxidant and antigenotoxicAchyrocline satureioides extract against zearalenone-induced mammal cytogenotoxicity and histological damage

Abstract

Zearalenone (ZEN), a Fusarium’s mycotoxin, is immunotoxic, genotoxic, hepatonephrotoxic and, affects the reproductive system. ZEN induces toxic and genotoxic effects on humans and other animals. Achyrocline satureioides has several medicinal properties. Moreover, the aqueous extract of A. satureioides is a safe agent that exerts low cytotoxicity and no genotoxicity. This extract is a promissory candidate to counteract ZEN effects. The present study aimed to investigate the capacity of cold aqueous extract from A. satureioides to protect against ZEN multi-target toxicity in different experimental mammal models. Anticytotoxicity was evaluated by neutral red uptake and 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium reduction assays. Comet assay and micronuclei test, oxidative stress (TBARs), and histopathological damage were evaluated in Balb/C mice. Anticytotoxic studies indicated that cold aqueous extract (100 and 300 μg/ml) protected from damage induced by ZEN (50 μg/ml) on Vero cells. In vivo studies indicated that ZEN (40 mg/kg body weight) induced an increase of genotoxicity: micronuclei (34 MNPCE/1000 PCE) and increase of damage (tail moment) in blood cells. Also, it increased lipid peroxidation in liver and kidneys and generated several histopathological alterations in both organs. Cold aqueous extract (100 mg/kg body weight) protected from genotoxicity induced by ZEN in both tests. Cold aqueous extract, also, reduced the lipid peroxidation and histopathological damage in liver and kidneys. In conclusion, the cold aqueous extract of A. satureioides that contains bioactive flavonoids prevents the multi-target toxicity induced by ZEN improving all the parameters evaluated in vitro and in vivo, which is a valuable and original finding in order to develop future treatments for human and veterinary medicine.

Toxicity of zearalenone and its nutritional intervention by natural products

“…Exposure to ZEN results in chromosomal aberrations, micronuclei, and DNA fragmentation. 96,97 A study found that exposing cells to ZEN resulted in DNA strand breaks. ZEN and its derivative α-ZOL had comparable DNA-damaging potential to the endogenous estrogens 17β-estradiol and estrone.…”

Foreword – special issue Mycotoxins in Latin America

“…Another study (Pinheiro et al, 2021) showed the effect of S. cerevisiae to feed contaminated with AFB 1 improving the performance indices of tambaqui (Colosoma macropomum). Sabini et al (2021) showed the efficacy of aqueous extracts of Achyrocline satureioides, a medicinal plant belonging to the Asteraceae family traditional from South America, which contain flavonoids that prevents the multi-target toxicity induced by ZEN.…”

Zearalenone-Induced Mechanical Damage of Intestinal Barrier via the RhoA/ROCK Signaling Pathway in IPEC-J2 Cells

“…Consequently, the toxic effects and mechanisms of ZEN have been extensively studied by researchers all over the world. A number of studies have suggested that ZEN can cause damaging effects on a wide range of tissues and cells [ 5 , 6 , 7 ]. Of concern is the extreme vulnerability of mammalian enterocytes to the effects of mycotoxins in the gut [ 8 ].…”