Abstract
Zearalenone (ZEA) as an estrogen-like mycotoxin can cause the inflammatory injury of the cecum. How to reduce the harm that ZEA causes to humans and animals is a current concern for researchers. In this study, we aimed to ascertain whether Bacillus velezensis A2 (A2) could alleviate injury caused by ZEA by regulating the intestinal flora and the content of short chain fatty acids in the cecum among mice. Our results showed that Bacillus velezensis A2 improved the fold height, myometrial thickness, and crypt depth of the cecum induced by ZEA. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and Western blotting results showed that A2 could decrease the ZEA-induced increase in expression levels of IL-2, IL-6, IFN-γ, TNF-α, and FC. Studies also showed that A2 increased the content of SCFA in the cecum which was decreased by ZEA. The microbial communities in the cecum were changed when given ZEA or A2. A2 was found to greatly reduce the ZEN-induced increase in the relative abundance of p_Actinobacteria, p_Protebacteria, o_Coriobacteriales, g_Anaerotruncus, g_Pseudoflavonifractor, g_Lachnoclostridium, g_Enterorhabdus, and f_Oscillospiraceae, and increase the ZEN-induced decrease in the relative abundance of f_Coriobacteriales. Results indicated that Bacillus velezensis A2 can largely ameliorate the intestinal inflammatory injury induced by ZEA in mice by regulating the microflora and short chain fatty acids content.
Highlights
Zearalenone is mainly produced by a variety of Fusarium fungi, such as F. culmorum, F. graminearum, F. crookwellense, F. oxysporum, and F. equiseti, and it contaminates corn, oats, rice, wheat, barley, and other cereal crops [1–3]
It has gradually become a new trend in research and development to find edible probiotics as food additives to protect the intestinal tract from infection by pathogenic microorganisms and improve human health
Previous research found that the intestinal mucus secreted by goblet cells in the intestinal epithelium was significantly disturbed by inflammatory diseases such as celiac disease and inflammatory bowel diseases, and significant changes occurred in the production and composition of intestinal mucus [16]
Summary
Zearalenone is mainly produced by a variety of Fusarium fungi, such as F. culmorum, F. graminearum, F. crookwellense, F. oxysporum, and F. equiseti, and it contaminates corn, oats, rice, wheat, barley, and other cereal crops [1–3]. Use of beneficial microbes to protect animals from colonization and infection by intestinal pathogens is known as ‘colonization resistance,’ which arises from the interaction between intestinal microbes and the mucosal surface, epithelial cells, and immune system [8]. It has gradually become a new trend in research and development to find edible probiotics as food additives to protect the intestinal tract from infection by pathogenic microorganisms and improve human health
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